Covet: A Novel of the Fallen Angels

I am new to JR Ward and just choose one of her books on a whim. The first one I read was Dark Lover. From there I was hooked on the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Now with the new series I was kind of skeptical because in the past other authors had disappointed me with starting new series. However, I can not say the same for JR Ward. Covet is awesome, this new series is going to be great. It is a far cry from the usual vampires stories but with angels and demons. Although she does sneak in a few of the vampires from the Black Dagger Brotherhood, which leaves you wondering if the new characters will eventually team up with the Brotherhood. So yes you have good vs. evil. Awesome,Awesome and Awesome is all I can say to describe this book. The book leaves you anticipating for more and what else the main character Jim can get into next. You will not be disappointed in this book.

I love how J.R. Ward gets me to read books just outside my comfort level. It's hard for me to read books that are intense or have suspense because I have anxiety issues, but I trust J.R. Ward.

I'm a fan of the BDB books and look forward to this new series.

My only complaint was that Covet didn't come out on the release date on Kindle. Sony Ebook had it, but not Kindle. I hope Lover Mine comes out on the release date on Kindle. I think it's justified when you see how well Covet has done on the Bestsellers List and after seeing her other books there.

Covet (Fallen Angels, Book 1) As a BDB phile (black dagger brotherhood), I wasn't certain I'd enjoy a series in this genre as much as I adore the Black Dagger Brotherhood, but COVET is just as entertaining and thrilling. I love that Ward brought in characters from the Brotherhood series, it makes the book more enjoyable. Buy it and rock with the fallen angels!

J.R. Ward does it again! I recently finished reading Covet and I have to say I could not put it down! I have to admit I was expecting it to be more like the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and was pleasantly surprised that it is somewhat different. J.R. really knows how to bring her characters to life!! Thanks for the great read!!

I thought this book was great! It's imaginative, sexy, creative and the verbiage is very unique! I haven't read any other book with such verbiage. I know this isn't the black dagger brother hood, just a mere mention of a club is the only link in this creative world JR has created. Black dagger brotherhood is in the same world with sexy fallen angels that ride harleys. There was a love story in this book with Vin an Marie, which was great, but the book is about the fallen angels. I like the combination and each characters view point and the views of past, present and future! I'm excited to read the preceding books about their next adventure in the line of catching one of each seven sins, in order to gain access through the gates of heaven. I think this was a great start to a new series, I'm hooked.

This book was a solid start to a new series. She did not try to cram in too much to start with, but still developed the concept and characters enough for me to want to read the next one. I'm not in love with the characters yet, like in the BDB, but I also don't think it to be totally fair to constantly compare the two. She stuck with vampires and paranormal, but obviously was trying to stroll a different path than the other series.
Looking forward to book 2 and the next soul to save

I've read all her other books and I thought this was a wonderful and well-constructed story. She doesn't use all the hard-to-connect-to slang of her last couple of entries in the BDB series. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre.

I liked this! I'm on the WARDen's board all the time so I knew what to expect - no Lassiter, different world than the Brothers, etc. But with that in mind, I still enjoyed this - however, I'm hoping that book two (CRAVE) will be less set up, and more story. This is book one so it's to be expected to have set ups.

SEMI-SPOILERS
Looking forward to finding out more about Jim's background story, what Devina will be up to, and who/what Dog is (other than an adorable doggie).

If you are a fan of Ward and were looking for this to be a cookie-cutter Brothers book then you will be surprised. Not really a romance (which I'm fine with) and it is really more of a brain-thinker.

Give this book a try!

Having been a faithful reading of the BDB series with its ups and downs, I wasn't sure what to expect with Covet. I ended up hooked and anxious for the next in the series. To be honest, I still like the early BDB books best, but this was a solid read.

I understand why some would not call this a romance, but I truly think this was all about romance and love. I really enjoyed a fresh approach on paranormal and really look forward to the next in the series.

Don't start this book if you have ANYTHING else to do for the next day or so, like, maybe sleep. Or eat. It hooks you from the first. I love the characters. All of them. I was wondering how it would compare to the BDB series... well. wow.Or, drat, now I'm hooked on this series too. Amazing author. Buy anything she writes. COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!! Ask my husband at 2:45 AM the day it arrived. Who needs to sleep. Awesome.

I'm going to make this short and sweet....I simply loved it. Action, mystery, love. What more could you want?! I love J. R. Ward. Her brain is simply Fantastical!!! I can't wait for the next one. Thank you for taking me on great ride in this book. I don't know if this will be a spoiler but... I loved that she brought some Brotherhood into it..like the sighting of Phury and I think there was one of Butch, Trez is in this book also. If you love J.R. Ward then give it a try.

JR Ward is officially my favorite author now! Unfortunately, she can't write as fast as I read. This book, the first installment in her Fallen Angels series) is phenomenal. She hooked me with the "Brothers" (of Black Dagger Brotherhood), now I'm in love with the Angels.

Ok. I think I was expecting too much of Covet. What with all the chatter on her site about the book but curiously, many elements of the book sort of fizzled and fell flat for me. What I liked first:

Jim Heron
Vincent DiPietro
Devina

As unlikely as it seemed the selection of Jim as our Fallen Angel was cool and appears to have good legs to withstand the rest of the series journey (however long that may be) but I think he should have remained human and not become a poof able un-dead. Because he'll deserve an HEA and seeing mom at the pearly gates just ain't enough
Vincent is just the type of lost soul alpha male I enjoy reading about
Devina... Ohhh so bad she's good and I am glad we'll see more of her/it...or whatever throughout the books

What disappointed:

Marie-Terese
The Angels
The pace

I am sorry WARDen but MT just did not do it for me as our heroine. The whole hooker with a heart of gold, lost my way, woe is me thing just did not grab me. At times, she fit the prototypical TSTL suit she threw on. I am sorry but if her son was her whole reason for going on the run then becoming a prostitute and hooking up with a guy who is in the devil's crosshairs just does not smack of doing it all for junior. And am I not mistaken that she could have made pretty good cheddar pole dancing??!! WTH! She had about as much sizzle as the statue that was stolen by her whack job stalker.

The Angels were a little to "Bewitched" for me. I was just waiting for one of them to start wrinkling their nose to make the odd picture in my head complete.

The pace c'mon WARDen. If I am correct Vin and Marie-Terese fell hard for each other in what 3 days... a week tops! That just pushed the envelope for me a bit to close to the edge of belief. I don't know about you but I would need some serious therapy if I were Vin or MT after the week they had.

In any event. The WARDen is clearly in world building mode here and I hope the sitch straightens itself out by the second book because you may be on to something here. But please no more gratuitous BDB appearances. They deserve to have a story worth crossing over to and not just those faux glimpses of them in a church and NA meeting. So no threat to the BDB with this effort but we'll see what the future brings.

Jim is a covert military operative. He suddenly finds himself newly dead and is given a mission by a group of characters who happen to be angels. He is to match make for his boss. He is sent back to life where he wakes up in the hospital and his boss is there. Jim begins to work on his matchmaking, only there is a hitch - the boss is about to give a ring to the lady Jim had sex with in his truck the night before. ThIen there is another hitch - it turns out she is literally a B from hell and Vin is supposed to be with another lady who is a prostitute and on the run with her young son from her x husband. Jim gets some help from an unlikely pair of fellow construction workers whom it turns out no one else on the job ever saw. He also acquires a new friend - a stray dog. I would have given this a 5 except at the end he intends to go on a mission for his worldly boss who thinks he's dead - so I don't know why he feels bound to go on this mission when he doesn't want to in the first place. Other than that, an excellent book with a fairly intricate plot.

I found this book to be interesting, but I had to make myself keep going back to it rather than needing to finish it. I had a bit of a tough time getting into it at first, but it did start to pick up a bit after about the first 75 pages or so. The plot was a bit confusing in parts. I did find myself interested enough at the end to wonder what happens next with the main character "Jim", so I guess I'll try out the next one in this series- Crave (when it gets released). I haven't read the BDB series yet that everyone keeps comparing this to, but I'm glad to hear that it's better than this (I have them all in the TBR pile!) I wouldn't say that the book was bad, but it was hard to follow in parts & felt a bit too long. I also never really liked the heroine very much, which I guess is why I had to keep "reminding myself" to go back to the book.

I'm somewhat addicted to JR Ward's books, but I'm not blind to her faults as a writer. The Black Dagger Brotherhood series is full of dropped plot points, writing into a corner from which no extrication is possible, and WTF moments, as well as ridiculously campy, over-the-top characters. I'm delighted to say that this spin-off series begins with almost none of those errors. Members of the BDB make cameo appearances but don't steal any scenes, while the new heroes are toned down sufficiently to make them believable. The main hero is Jim Heron (not his real name), who is living under the radar to avoid his previous Black Ops life. He finds himself on the stage of a chess game between Good and Evil, where Good has croquet-playing angels who drink tea with crumpets, and Evil has a body no man can resist and an ability to make homemade pasta. Yes, there are enough humorous inserts to relieve the drama. Also on stage: Vin, a man whose focus must be changed in order for humanity to survive; Marie-Therese (not her real name), a woman who is trying to keep her son safe from a brutal father; and a host of angels and - yes - dogs. I loved this first entry in the series and look forward to the rest!

Book Description:

Jim on his first mission as a fallen angel tasked to save a man from losing his soul,
finding out that its none other then the man he worked for. Trying to figure out how to save
the man's soul also puts himself in situations he's never been in.

Vin diPietro, an extremely handsome, rich, driven, self-made, successful construction business
man who suffers the sin of greed. His soul hangs in the balance and is completely unaware until
his worker Jim tells him hes here to save himself from losing his soul. But Vincent isn't buying it
but takes a liking to Jim. Vincent is a man who can buy anything in the world and have any women
he wants but he's content with his life and is ready to marry the women who lets me do what he wants
without questions he has no time for love.

Until he meets Marie-Terese for the first time, he experiences an intense type of magnetic pull
and connection that he simply can’t ignore. When he looks into her eyes at the club she works
at he will do everything can to figure her out and get to know her. She’s a woman pushed to extreme
circumstances by a painful, cruel past and she will do everything she can to protect herself and not
let anyone close. But Vin needs Marie-Terese just as much as she needs him but they don't know it.

My Likes

Id like to say that this book had a wonderful story line and definitely stayed on track and never strayed
from what the book was about. Now I gave this book a 4 star because my reasons why this books was really good.

1. The character were amazing, Personalities, Descriptions, they were Humorous, and loved that
that there were many of them instead of sticking to the two who are suppose to be in love like most
authors they make it more about them.

2. Sex scene were perfectly steam and sexual, very descriptive. I love how there were many because
sex to many scenes tend to kill a book. I love to connect to the characters of the book not wanting to
keep skipping scenes because the sex scenes seem the same and get a little Blehh

3. There was plenty of mystery I couldnt put the books down because I wanted more It really kept me on my toes.

4. I loved how the book about the angels and the male lead and female lead. She definitely kept
it where is was about all characters and not just the two people they were to save. I was about
love, friendship, and trust between each character.

This was a great story and but with every great story there are also flaws.

My Dislikes

Now likes are what kept this book from making my rating a 3. And I love giving books a
great review but this book also had me disappointed because I saw quite a few thing that
could have made it better =) I only have 2 reasons why this book could have been a 3 if not
for the reasons why I liked it.

1. I may not base my life on dictionary but read through this book almost had me have to
pull it out a few times. But didn't and ended up down grading it to what I figured what the
author meant. There were a lot of typos but I don't down grade a book that way. The way
things were said made it seem like someone went through a dictionary or a thesaurus to
try and find better words to describe a person or a situation and maybe a thing. The sex
scenes were great but the wording for body parts and there actions seems cheesy to me.
It seemed like I should be a lot older to read it so it seemed less offensive. Most authors who
are looking for younger readers say (c***,D***,P****,P***Y, etc..) and many other phrases but
for some reason I couldn't get myself into it so I skipped. There were times When Jim said some
things that made me think he was either a teen or 40 yr. old man some of his wordings seemed
to smart and other times is seemed like he was a lot younger and trying to use slang Jim.

2. Reading through this book had me confused most of the time. Once you began reading
it was one character the next chapter a completely different character and you wouldn't even
know who it was you would end up figuring it out by the time you almost half way through the
chapter. Then there were times when you went to another chapter it was one character but then
without knowing that that seen ended it ended up being about someone else and your left thinking
"what the hell just happened? did I miss something?" But then you realize later "Oh the scene
ended and is onto the next person in a different setting." It would have been better if there were
(~~~~) between scenes and then the character she is talking about next Such as:

(Vin

...........

~~~~~~

Jim

..........)

Would have been really helpful and A LOT less confusing. If these two reasons
were out of the picture She'd have a solid 5 ***** Stars

I recommend this book if you don't care about my dislikes and thoroughly enjoy a good book.
I believe J.R Ward did great and I can't wait to read the next book despite my dislikes I can't
turn away from a good series <3

The premise seemed good, but the writing is...terrible. I came to this series from a lengthy UF series and maybe I'm just not the target audience, but the writing seemed so simplistic and awful that it's difficult to imagine whi, exactly, enjoys these books.
As others have mentioned, the amount of slang is large, but what really got me was the over use of the word 'guy' - I only made it 70 pages into this book, and "the guy" was used half a dozen times (if not more), and often in an awkward manner. And with multiple crude sex scenes within the first 70 pages, it really seems like this book was written by a poorly educated male New Yorker trying his best to write softcore porn for women. I've read YA series with more depth and better writing than this.
Really disappointed, especially since the series seemed promising and I bought the first three books.

Oh, I just can't tell you how disappointed I am right now. I was so very, very excited about reading this. I adore the Black Dagger Brotherhood books (most of them anyway) and Lassiter really piqued my interest, so a whole series based on the Fallen Angels...how could it go wrong? Well I found out, didn't I? It could go wrong in any number of ways and Mrs. Ward seems to have found most of them.

Don't get me wrong, I still love her rather unique writing style--all full of la-di-das and unique grammar structures that sound so very right for the characters. But the story...the story was a serious let down. Let's start with the fact that Lassiter, the fallen angel who shows up in the latter BDB books to introduce this spin off series, isn't even in the book. That's right, the very character who introduced readers to fallen angels was left out completely. How is that possible?

Next, the use of the noble whore falling in love with the flawed but redeemable billionaire businessman (and visa-versa) is about as cliché and trite as they come. Overused doesn't even begin to cover it. Plus, I got really tired of all of the prostitute bashing disguised as Marie-Terese's pangs of conscious. Yes, I concede that it is generally a mirror of society's unfortunate opinion on the matter, but it was harangued on endlessly.

Then there is the insta-love. Now, Ward is known for insta-love scenarios so this isn't really all that surprising. But here it felt more extreme than normal since both characters had to break character to actually fall instantly in love. Marie-Terese had to abandon years of careful caution and Vin had to suddenly develop a heart he previously lacked. Even if I was willing to accept this cosmic shift in both of their mentalities I then had to also accept their sudden effusive natures. The 'I love you', 'I trust you', 'thank you for believing in me' were flying off the shelf left an right, despite the fact that these people had known each-other for collective hours. I couldn't see for all the sappy hearts and flowers they were giving off. Gag.

I was also left wondering if Vin and Marie-Terese's drama or Jim's situation was the primary plot of the book. I honestly couldn't tell. There is a serious problem when I finish a book and can't tell who the main character was. Now, I liked Jim a lot. I liked his anti-hero personality and rather grey goodness. I liked his wingmen, Eddie and Adrian. I liked their mission, etc. But they felt incidental to Vin and Marie-Terese falling instantly in love and I don't think that was supposed to be the case.

Lastly, I'm totally lost on the pantheon of these books. Since Black Dagger Brothers showed up in the background on occasion (Butch's Red Sox hat in the last pew of the church service, running into Phury outside his NA meeting, her working for Trez, etc) I'm assuming this is the same general universe. So how exactly does the BDB's goddess and the Angel's God fit together? I'm stumped.

Since I generally love Mrs. Wards actual writing I'd be willing to give the second book in this series a try to see if given a different plot I might like it better. But this particular book left me cold. Left me less than cold, it left me feeling like I had wasted time on. And all of it was only exacerbated by the fact that I had such high hopes going in. I really expected to love it. Such a let down.

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As a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood I could not wait to start this series. I do regret however that, I am only able to give this one 3 1/2 stars. The problem is that the first part of the book was slow and hard to get through for me. About a third way through the book it started getting really good and I was hooked from then on. I am looking forward to reading the next addition in the series very soon.

I want to add that I think all the background information at the front of the book was necessary. I would also encourage anyone who is having trouble getting past the first few chapters, to keep pushing on and you will really like the book.

Redemption isn’t a word Jim Heron knows much about—his specialty is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charge with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. And failure is not an option.

Vin DiPietro long ago sold his soul to his business, and he’s good with that — until fate intervenes in the form of a tough- talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior. But then he meets a woman who will make him question his destiny, his sanity, and his heart—and he has to work with a fallen angel to win her over and redeem his own soul.

This one is hard to rate.. I want to say 3 1/2 stars for all the confusion in the first part of the book it took me a little over 100 pages to put everything together between all the characters.. I'm one I dont like to rack my brain to read a book most people are not like me though. Then I want to say 4 stars just because it did get better..

I really liked Vin and Marie-Terese together. I will be waiting to see how Jim gets to take down Devina..

If your are a big BDB reader dont expect the hot sex
seens this book is totaly different good but not BDB sex.

This is how I would recommend this book. Make sure you make a little more time for the first half of this book you can't go into this in a hurry because It keeps jumping for one character to the other, but remember it will all come together..

Pros: This book is very different from Ward's BDB series and it took me by surprise, in a good way. Do not, I repeat, do not go in expecting anything like the BDB series. It's a total departure from that. I wasn't sure that I liked it at first, but as the story went on, it started to grow on me. The only similarity is the Caldwell NY stomping grounds. Same place, different world.

I liked that even though there a clear good and evil, the good guys aren't perfect goody two shoe angels. They are real, flawed and sort of rugged, which makes reading about them pretty fun.

Since I listened to this on audio, I must mention the narrator. Great job there. Hearing the narrator really helped with figuring out what was what in the beginning when things were a little murky.

Cons: Immediately I was looking for something supernatural. In my opinion, it took a long time for it to surface, at least a few chapters. At first I couldn't tell if anything would be supernatural at all. But I pushed forward and as I continued on, I got into the flow of things and the story got better. The supernatural part that I was looking for appeared! Another thing that bothered me a bit is the fact that there are a couple story lines to sort out in the beginning. I'm sure if I were reading instead of listening it may have been a bit difficult at first.

Final Thoughts: Put the BDB series aside. Completely. Take this book and series for what it is and you'll enjoy it a lot more. This story has a lot of aspects; angels, demons, good and evil, love and a whole lot of drama. This series has a lot of potential and I'm looking forward to seeing who Jim and his angel sidekicks help next.

So I started this book riding on the crest of the Lover Reborn wave - looking for something to break up with barren WARDenless wasteland before the next BDB book arrives and didn't have massively high expectations. I should have known better to doubt the WARDen though and can happily report that it's a totally new approach to the ages old battle of good vs evil and is a great read.
So this is a novel of Fallen Angels and our main celestial being is Jim Heron - a man with a shady past now working a construction site with Adrian Vogel and Eddie Blackhawk. Are we noticing a theme here of the avian variety??

They all work for Vin diPietro, self-made self-assured millionaire who we first seeing buying the perfect engagement from a top jewellers for his perfect woman, Devina Avale, to complete his perfect life. But all is not rosy. Vin doesn't really love this woman, he just believes she would make him the picture perfect wife. At first I didn't like Vin but quickly we learn there's a lot to love about him. He came from very humble beginnings and has dragged himself up in the world and now has a 2 story apartment in the Commodore - isn't the Penthouse occupied by Rehvenge on one side and Vishous's playroom on the other?

So back to Jim - he has a one-night stand with a beautiful woman in a blue dress and the very next day his boss, Vin, comes to the construction site to visit with his woman on his arm who is none other than the devil in the blue dress from the night before. Jim turns sharply, falls into a puddle with a live cable and is electrocuted.

Drifting, unconscious, Jim wakes up on the edge of Heaven which is a manicured croquet lawn outside of an English castle with 4 upper crust English dudes named Tarquin, Bertie, Colin and Nigel. They tell Jim that he is going to save the world by saving 7 souls who are at a crossroads in their lives and he must guide them on the correct path. He's also warned to watch out for Team Demon who is attempting to guide these souls on the path to hell.

He regains consciousness in hospital and wakes up to Vin who is standing in front of the TV screen with a red arrow pointing right at his head. He is the SOS - his mission. Jim takes him to the Iron Mask that night where Vin sees and develops instant deep feelings for Marie Terese, a prostitute we met back in Lover Avenged. It's soon apparent to Jim that Marie Terese is Vin's redemption and Devina is the wrong turn.

As in all good stories, the course of true love never did run smooth and Marie Terese also has a past she is hiding and it's a tough road ahead for her and Vin. Vin takes her back to where he grew up and they sit there together in the dusty house and I thought these scenes were really well written. You could truly feel the strong but repressed feelings the two of them held for each other without being able to express them until their passion explodes and they can no longer deny their attraction.

Before we can go all Pretty Woman, it's all about to go seriously Pete Tong for Vin as Team Demon ups the ante when they suspect that Team Angel is forging ahead and he is arrested for assault and there are a few more bumps in the road before all is revealed.

It's a highly enjoyable novel and yet another series to wait all bloody year for the next instalment but, hey ho, such is the life of a J.R. Ward fangirl!

5 stars urban fantasy romance

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It's the first of J. R. Ward's books I've read, so I can't compare them to her immensely popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I liked the concept of the fallen angels and conquering the Seven Deadly Sins, and think the premise shows a lot of promise.

My only issues, really, are that (1)these books may not age well - the slang and dialogue, while not troublesome to me personally, may put some off as "too hip". Therefore, as time moves on, these books may well become dated. Shakespeare and others have not had this problem, so I guess it's a small thing. (2) I am only speaking for the Kindle edition here, but this book needs a good editor. There are spelling mistakes, improper word insertions and numerous other easily corrected editing mistakes. The biggest complaint for me is the use of punctuation. Apparently J. R. Ward is unfamiliar with the concept of the question mark (?). Every time a character would ask a question it was punctuated with a period and not a question mark. This about drove me nuts, as it can alter the effect of the entire dialogue.

The story itself, as I stated, begins with a decent premise. At times it's a little too pat and almost juvenile. I deducted a star from my rating for the bad editing - an author of J. R. Ward's popularity should be able to afford a good editor and Penguin should know better than to publish a poorly edited book, especially for the prices they charge for e-books. If the dead tree version is as badly edited, I would be most unhappy with that purchase.

Plot: No, seriously, that's it.....Pretty Woman with angels and demons

It's over wrought, dripping with sentiment, overrun by stereotypes, hackneyed, cliche'd, trite, vapid, innocuous, insipid, banal.

The only thing she forgot was to tie the girl to the train tracks and name the hero Dudley.

...and I enjoyed it quite a bit (...who doesn't like Pretty Woman).

OK...enough fun. Don't expect a intricately worked novel that will unlock the secrets of life here. This is pure romantic escapism. Don't look too close at the details, they don't all match up, and Ward is purposely vague at times, making it easier to just run with the plot. She has an occasional interesting turn of phrase, but this isn't the greatest prose in the world either. Perhaps Ward's greatest strength is that she can write characters and a plot that appeal both to male and female readers. As a male, I enjoyed it without getting too annoyed at the mooning of the characters or that the plot had digressed to romantic ramblings. My chief complaint is consistency. If you're going to create an alternate reality, then you have to establish rules, make sure the rules make sense, and make sure your characters follow the rules. Everyone wants to see the hero pull off the win while staying within the rules (no last minute saves from nowhere). In any case, if you're looking for some good escapism, this is a good place to start.

Covet is the first book in the Fallen Angels series by American author, J.R.Ward. As with her popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series, this one is set in Caldwell, NY, and while there is some overlap with characters and places, this series has an entirely different set of tough guys fighting evil. Jim Heron, currently on reserve from SpecOps and working as a carpenter for a construction company run by a very rich self-made billionaire, finds himself electrocuted and talking to angels: no, it's not a hallucination. Somehow, he has been chosen in the fight for good against evil, and his first assignment of seven (as in deadly sins) is to save said billionaire, Vin diPietro. Not much guidance as to how and why, but apparently his workmates Adrian and Eddie, complete with tattoos, Harleys and attitude, are part of the deal. As is a nasty shape-shifting Demon currently looking like a model, Devina. And a stray dog that doesn't cast a shadow either, creatively named Dog. This instalment has magic mirrors, a virgin sacrifice, ritual exorcism and some unusual water-pistols. It's not BDB, but it is easily as enjoyable, and BDB fans will enjoy the minor roles that Trez, Detective de la Cruz, the Iron Mask and the Commodore play. Fritz, The Reverend and ZeroSum get a mention and Phury even makes a tiny cameo. Ward's characters have some depth and her plot is highly original. She sets up the next instalment so readers will know where things are headed with Crave. Another series that is likely to be habit-forming.

Covet: Fallen Angel Book 1
JR Ward
Published by Piatkus
Supplied by Hatchette
Reviewed by Jan Butterworth

Jim Heron is a drifter who has found a temporary construction job in Caldwell. He has walked away from his past as an assassin for the US, only to find they're not letting him go that easily. Jim's temporary construction job is building a house, Vin's latest status symbol.

Vin Di Pietro started from nothing and is a self made man, having plenty of toys and an obscene amount of money. He only had to sell his soul to achieve success... Marie-Terese works at the Iron Mask, a job she abhors but she needs the money. She's on the run from her past - a past she's terrified has caught up to her.

Jim is electrocuted on the job and dies, meeting a pack of arch-angel who have decided to use him in an epic battle of good vs evil. To win he only has to convince seven souls to choose the path of righteousness over sin. And Vin's is the first soul.

Vin and Marie-Terese get to know and trust each other, only to have the shadow of Vin's ex-girlfriend cast over them. Jim knows she's evil, so he and his two trusty sidekicks (who cast no shadows) must ride to the rescue on their Harley...

As a fan of JR Ward's Brotherhood series, I was a little apprehensive Covet wouldn't measure up. I'm happy to say it does. The Fallen Angel series is one to watch out for. It has the good vs evil battles, the redemption of souls, angels, demons, and hot guys in black leather. This is very good. Read it. I look forward to the next.

For Brotherhood fans: No vampires - well, apart from a blink and you'll miss him sighting of Phury. Trez is the owner of the Iron Mask and shows his softer side. It doesn't matter though. The angels are just as hot.

Sometimes authors just need to take a break before starting something new and editors need to stop pushing deadlines when previous books in a series get progressively worse. That said, I wish Ms. Ward would take a few moments and read the reviews of why people didn't care for the last few books in her Brotherhood series (and this one) to better herself.

The first two pages in chapter one explain more about the premise of this book than I realized when I first started it. Jim Heron is a man with a past, something dark and one he'd like to forget for awhile. His wariness of others is well-deserved. Vin DiPietro is another man with memories that he'd like to forget and a future that will take him to the devil if he doesn't change his ways. Lastly, we meet Marie-Therese and her son during this time and find out that she has much to hide also. These three characters' lives become entwined and take them on a ride through tormented chaos. Just how far is each willing to go?

Jim works for Vin, they meet and Jim dies. OK, he dies and doesn't die but that makes up part of the storyline. Jim becomes a 'Fallen Angel' and is assigned Vin to save him from going to hell. The reading is slow for the first 100 pages because so much about the characters has to be explained. After this the story starts to pick up and you learn much about the secondary characters...not everyone is who you think they are.

I'll stop here without giving too much more away except to say that some storylines are concluded and other are left unexplained to continue the series. I am hoping future 'Fallen Angels' books will get better and am willing to read the second one to find out. If you enjoyed this novel you will probably like 'Wicked Game', another dark paranormal, by Jeri Smith-Ready.

Okay I admit I have not read the Brotherhood books by this author that everyone else has read ages ago. Because of this I have no expectations. I went into this book only hoping for a decent paranormal that didn't bore me to death with endless action and subplots. I read this on audio and the narrator is a guy (and I'll also admit I usually prefer a woman) but he did a decent job even though he sometimes sounded like Casey Kasum. I kept waiting for him to end a chapter with "Keep your feet on the floor and keep reaching for the stars." which made me laugh at the oddest of places in the story.

If I'm followed the setup correctly this is the beginning of what appears to be a series of seven or eight books, perhaps? Behind the scenes angels and demons are engaged in a battle and one human will be chosen to determine who wins it for them. This human must save seven souls from one of the seven deadly sins but naturally the demons being evil and all aren't going to play fair.

Jim is a construction worker with a mixed sense of morality which is why he is the choice of both the angels and the demons for their little end of the world game. The day after his 40th birthday he meets the angels and learns of his mission. The angels aren't very angelic in manner and the narrator gives them all accents which made their banter even funnier. Several sound like Simon Cowell while another sounds like that sexy Australian guest chef they always have on tv's "The Biggest Loser". I sure hope we get to meet the demons if the angels are this offbeat.

But the book isn't all about the funny, soon after the angels make their appearance it takes a turn towards the dark and pretty much stays there. The characters are troubled and all are a bit mysterious which is what hooked me right off. I was unsure who was the good guy or gal and that kept me reading in the early stages of the book. The author does a fantastic job of making her flawed characters realistic. Not always likable but realistic. The main characters have brutal pasts and many secrets and that horrific baggage has shaped them into who they are now. This isn't the minor fluffy stuff that torments many a hero/heroine in romance novels and drives me up a wall when they start up with the Eeyore act. These are traumatizing, life altering events.

Jim's now a fallen angel and his first subject is Vin DiPietro. Vin is a successful businessman and is about to engage himself to a gorgeous but strangely secretive beauty. Vin is one of the tormented men who starts off the book as cold and unemotional. I'm curious to see which of the seven sins belongs to him. I'm guessing it's either greed or pride but hey maybe he'll get lucky and it'll be lust.

The book alternates between Jim, Vin and another main character named Marie-Terese who is working as a prostitute. She loathes what she must do but is determined to pay her debts. Why she couldn't find another option, any other option (perhaps working two normal jobs?) to pay off that debt though is beyond me. It's not like she was an undependable junkie-type and this felt too contrived. Marie-Terese remains shrouded in a cloud of mystery too. And I'm not being sarcastic for once. I actually enjoyed all of this mysteriousness. It made me want to keep on listening. This author has the secret to the ever elusive hook many books seem to be missing.

I won't go into the plot any more than that and will only say that I mostly enjoyed the book and am glad to have finally discovered this author. It captured my attention and wasn't so action packed that I ever became lost and the author's "voice" worked for me. My interest began to wane a bit midway and I never became fully emotionally involved in Vin and Marie-Terese's love story for whatever reason. Actually my attention began to drift when they got together. But I'm cold like that. So, it just misses being a four star book (I'd give it 3 ¾'s if I could) and probably isn't one I'd read again but I'll be checking out the sequels.

Got this book from my library and I'm glad that I did! This book was great! On his birthday Jim goes out with two buddies from work. A woman in a blue dress keeps staring at him and follows him outside when he goes to leave.... What happens next causes the series of events that follow.

Jim see's his one night stand at his work with her boyfriend/his boss and falls and gets electrocuted.. While he technically died he meets four angels who tell him he needs to save 7 souls. Soul one. His boss.

Vin is going to propose to Devina. He feels she is perfect for him. Until he goes to a club and meets Marie-Terese. It was meant to be. But she is scared and on the run from someone, and finds it hard to trust. Someone else also wants Marie-Terese. Someone who is willing to kill to have her.

Devina is not willing to let Vin go and it does not matter who she takes down she is determined to have him. Can Jim along with some friends help Vin and Marie-Terese when it all comes crashing down? You would have to read it to find out, but I can guarantee you will not be disappointed! I defiantly recommend reading this book!

I'm a huge fan of Black Dagger Brotherhood so when I realized that I hadn't read J.R. Wards new series I had to fix that. It was so fun seeing little appearances by characters I loved from BDB as well as getting to see the 'other side' of Caldwell.

Covet begins with Jim, a construction worker that keeps to himself and seems to have some hidden secrets. While on a job he is hurt and things begin to get interesting from there. He's visited by a group of mysterious men that turn his world upside down.

It is Jim's mission to help Vin, the man whose massive house he was helping to build. Little does Jim know, it's not just Vin's soul he's trying to save. The two become friends. One night Jim goes out with Vin and his girlfriend, Devina. When Vin sets eyes on one of the girls working in the club he realizes that maybe Devina isn't what he wants. He becomes determined to get close to Marie-Terese, who we saw a little in BDB. She has secrets of her own that she's trying to run from.

Shortly after, Jim realizes that he's not there to help Vin with his relationship with Devina, as he'd originally thought. He's there to help Vin realize he's destined for more and destined for someone else.

Vin's supernatural twist really surprised me but I found it interesting. I wasn't expecting the book to end the way it did but I can't complain. I enjoyed it over all and am curious to see what else comes for the series.

[...]

First off, let me say I love the Black Daggar Brotherhood novels. This book is nothing like those. I had to drag myself through the first 6 chapters or so, thinking it would get faster paced and better. It did improve when all the characters finally met up, but not by much. Way too much time is spent on descrbing the setting~the color of the pillows, the size of the windows, the color of the marble.... I like *some* of that, but paragrahs of it make a book to slow.

The overall theme of the book is "Angels against Demons" and they are using the humans to fight it out. Of course the demons cheat.

There are 4 main characters~ 2 men, 2 women. Three of them are human and have no special powers. One of the humans is 'cursed' and can see a cloud around people who are going to die, but no cool vampire abilities exist.

The female 'love interest' of one of the men is a prostitute. Sorry, but whore and romance don't mix. I could not empathize with her character at all, and it was too unrealistic to think a beautiful, filthy rich guy would want a hooker. There was not a lot of interaction between them anyway, so what little romance was attempted, was a small part of the overall book.

Most of the interaction was between the two men in the book ( as friends), so no romance there. I didn't buy the book to read about male friendship interaction.

The pros~ there are some twists and surprises about some of the characters, but nothing exiting. The character developement is detailed and excellent, they just didn't DO anything exciting.

I was hoping for something a lot more like the Black Daggar Brotherhood....

Covet begins with meeting Jim, Vin, and Marie-Teresa. Jim actually works at a construction site building a house for Vin. And Marie-Teresa has several secrets she's hiding, and working as a "dancer" at the Iron Mask bar. These three people don't realize it yet, but destiny is about to knock them on their butts. When Jim has a freak accident, and sort of dies. He's told that he has to help Vin make a choice in his life. Vin has to make the right choice in order for the Angels to prevail. If Jim doesn't succeed then the world will be over as they know it. Jim has a mission to save Seven souls, and Vin is just the first.

Covet was very good. It has a very unique story line, and lots of wonderful characters. The writing was awesome as well. The only thing I wish could have been changed was to add a little bit more romance to it. But other than that it has a little bit of romance, lots of action, and tons of drama. I do look forward to more in this series. And I hope that by the time it's done that Jim gets his HEA. I felt sort of bad for him through out the book, his life was so sad.

Jim Heron died, electrocuted. but then he had a dream or he thought he was dreaming. There were 4 guys who basicalyy told him that he is now on the playing field. Saving souls, saving mankind.-whooosah! Of course he thought it was ridiculous. But then he woke up and he realized that yeah he's was really on a mission and first one is his boss. Vin di Pietro. Real Estate Mogul, filthy rich. - the 7 deadly sins that he's guilty of was Avarice. So at first he thought that he was supposed to help him propose to his uber hot and pretty girlfriend (to be on the right path), Devina Avale, whom he had an encounter inside his truck the night before he died. So yeah he was feeling a littlke guilty and ashamed of himself because Jim is not like that. Vin on the other hand was being haunted by the memory of his wife-beater dad and suddenly had doubts. Devina came home with her stunning Blue Dress on the night that he was supposed to proposed but he noticed that she doesn't have a lipstick on, and for Devina that's just odd. Especially when he met Marie-Therese, a prostitute with morals and has zero personality. I was conflicted at first but as the story goes that actually turned out ok. So then Vin and Jim got into a fist fight with a couple of college douche that was harassing Marie-Therese and from then on everything got weird for all of them. Killings, Nightmare of having sex with a corpse, pre-cognition resulting to death, mystery stalker, knowledge that there are demons lurking on earth, etc. But at the end the good won but not quite. It was a very cheesy ending and don't even get me started at the hideous book cover.

What I really think?
At first I wasn't sure If I can continue reading. The prologue and first chapter was weak and I'm thinking, I have too many tbrs to waste my time on this one, but I endured the boredom and force myself into reading it. This was my first J.R Ward experience which turned out to be a disappointment.

I like Jim, he reminds me of Standard Alpha male, bad ass attitude that suddenly became all vengeful towards a death of a girl that he doesn't know. Vin di Pietro's all manly concern for Marie-Therese's safety and the mystery killer. Typical. I really thought it was Marie-Therese's ex-husband who was executing all this men. He sounded like the kind of guy that will pull a McGuyver to get out of prison.
It was a promising start for a new series (if you get impressed) but I wasn't blown away by this book. A certain chemistry is missing, for me to put this series into
"I cannot wait for the next book and see what happens to him." bookshelf. It doesn't also help that I keep thinking about my favorite TV show Supernatural as there was some semblance to it.

First off, let me just say that I didn't have high expectations for this book to begin with; I'm not into Angels and Demons and such. But I figured it's by J.R. Ward so why not give it a try? I liked that it wasn't predictable; it had me wanting to know how things were going to follow through.

J.R. Ward doesn't disappoint with the bedroom scenes! She paints a very vivid and explicit picture of the hanky-panky. So much so that when I let 2 friends of mine at work read page 343, they were blushing! Go ahead, get out your copy and turn to that page. Just wipe the drool off the keyboard when you're done. Oh, and don't forget to wipe your seat....(oh yes I did just say that!)

I appreciate that the book, especially since being first in a series, was initially released in paperback. It's hard to shell out the green on a hard cover that you don't know if you're going to like. Psst! Publishers: I'm more likely to invest in a series when it's available in paperback. Just sayin'.

Confession: The first thing I did when I got the book was flipped to the back to read the excerpt from Lover Mine, which was very short, too short. Not very revealing. John Matthew gets a Xhex tatt. Okay, no shocker there. Just give me John Matthew already! Just for the record, he's mine ladies! And no, I don't share.

This is the first book in JR Ward's new Fallen Angels series. It was a little weak, as was Dark Lover, Ward's first Black Dagger Brotherhood Book. I like the fallen angel premise. I like the fact that this series is also set in Caldwell, like the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I like the crossover of minor characters between the two series. I like Jim and I like his angel "mentors." I DON'T like reading about a prostitute with a big heart. If I was in the mood for that, I'd go rent Pretty Woman. I'm going to give the next book in this series a try, just because I enjoy the Black Dagger Brotherhood so much and because I feel 95% sure Ward won't feature a prostitute as the protagnonist in the next installment.

Just One Gripe:
The plot was a tad predictable.

The Best Thing About This Book:
Hmm, I'd have to say Jim. I like him a lot!

I liked this story; I liked the characters and the storyline. It wasn't a "I can't put down" book, but I enjoyed the slow read. It definitely had some surprises and twists. I though I had it all figured out but I was definitely wrong. I will read the next one for sure!

Now I decided to give this series a try because I am in love with 'The Black Dagger Brotherhood' series. In comparison this book it not as good to me. I did like reading about certain characters form the other series. It is a little weird to me that it takes place in the same town.

I love the concept, the battle between Heaven and Hell has begun, and of course the battle ground is here on earth. What better game for them to play but the Seven Deadly Sins.

Now these are my kind of angels, no fluffy wings and harps here. These guy are tough and looking for a good fight. These are beer swilling, shitkicker wearing angels who listen to Van Halen (OK, so I may be showing my age here, but then again so is Ward, so I'm good with that).

As always J.R. Ward has written a great, compelling story. She creates great characters who are so believable, ones that you want to see over and over again. I'm wondering if there will be some more crossover with the Brotherhood.

I will definitely be reading the next six (I assume) in this series.

Book 1 of the series... MUST read in sequential order. If you are a J.R. Ward fan, you will definitely become a huge fan of the "Fallen Angel" series. I can't wait until Book 4 is released. Angels & Demons, life and death, heaven and hell...Go into this series with an open mind, separating your childhood teachings in Sunday School from fiction. This book series is not meant to prove or disprove ones fundamental beliefs. What an exciting, EROTIC, dramatically serious depiction of how the human race is manipulated by good and evil. I have all 3 books (Covet, Crave, Envy) in this series 3 times. I catch something differently smart and intelligent with each listen. J.R. Ward never adds senseless drivel. What an intelligent writer I find her to be. I highly recommend the 3 books in the series, soon to be a 4 book series. Eventually, there will be 7 books to cover all 7 deadly sins. A MUST buy. You will be hooked! Can't read just once.

I bought Covet and Crave at a thrift store and had initially put off reading them because they didn't get the best of reviews. When Envy was released I decided to go ahead and give them a try. Well, I read Covet and my question is...What's not to like? I think too many people might have been comparing this series with the BDB series and it isn't the same and shouldn't be compared. I loved Covet! I liked Jim and Marie-Terese and Vin. I especially thought Vin was ultra sexy and the romance/sex between he and Marie-Terese was smokin!! I think the whole idea of seven souls to be saved or not... is an excellent theme for a new series. The bad guy, Devina, was also very interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing more of her in Crave and Envy. I guess what I'm saying is I haven't read ANYTHING by JR Ward that wasn't good including her works under the Jessica Byrd pen name. I should have remembered that thought and not put these books off for so long.

Awesome. I wish I had read this series in between BDB books. Ward has written in cameo's by Phury and Butch which was fun. This story is a whole other world than BDB and I was glad. I really like the concept of demons and angels and those of us who skate the line between good and bad being able to make a difference. LOVED all the characters in this story. The book was well written and kept me interested the entire time. No skimming, no watching the clock on this one.

I'm a massive fan of Ward, her BDB series is IMO the best paranormal fiction around and this offering by her shows promise. It doesn't quite have the charm and humour of BDB but I still enjoyed it. I would recommend it so long as you don't expect the same character depth that you get with the Brotherhood series, but remember this is only the first installment of the Fallen Angels. Given Ward's unquestionable talent I'm confident that the rest of the series will only get better.

The romance between Vin and Marie-Therese was quite good, although I would have preferred if they'd been given more time to get to know each other before falling in love (but then that's a complaint I have about most romances written these days).

Jim (the main character) seems like a stand up guy but I really want to hear more about Adrian (a fallen angel) - he's a bit of a mystery...not to mention hot :)

Just one thing grated - the authors attempt at British characters. I would ask her to do a bit more research into how Brits speak. The way she's written them, they sound like 'toffs' yet they call each other and Jim 'mate'??? I'm pretty sure the upper class don't speak like that. Oh and would an American guy refer to English guys as 'lads'? Not being American myself I don't really know but it sounded odd and made me cringe everytime Jim called them the Lads. I know, fairly minor critisms but it irritated me.

Other than that - a jolly good read by jove!

This has made the favorites list! This book is basically about Jim, who needs to help seven people make the right choice in their lives in order to help in the battle between good verses evil. In this book he needs to help Vin make the choice in his life with the crossroad he is facing. I love JR Ward as an author, one of my fave. She has amazing skills and come up with great characters. This book was different and had an amazing storyline. Jim and Vin.....Loved them. Their whole character and demeanor is what i love. The bad boy, kick ass, smart mouth and sarcasm with a hint a sweet in them. Marie Teresa's story was done greatly and also very sad. The action in this book was amazing and the romance between Vin and Marie Teresa was great. Not mushy but just right.Devina....Man oh man. If you haven't read this book and you liked JR Ward's Black dagger brotherhood series, you need to read this book!

Warden & Fellow Readers, I must say it took me a year and half to get to this book. I purchased it 2009 , got through the first 10-15 pages and put it down for something else. It started off a bit slow for me and I never got back around to reading it.
Well I recently saw the cover for the third book "Envy" and I was like....*WOW*!!... Then my BF Tricee told me she purchased Envy for me..I told her I never got around to reading Covet & Crave and she said "look have I ever steered you wrong!!..keep reading it, your gonna love I promise you!
Needless to say..I absolutely loved it!!!..I adore Vin & Jim's character!!..ps..I must say it again..I adore Vin..he's quite Yummy!!..lol
This series is quite different from the BDB Series and its just as addictive!..It also was quite refreshing to see Trez up in the mix!
okay folks im off to the second book " Crave"....Happy Reading & Enjoy!!

I will admit that I did like reading the story, but if it wasn't for her other books, I probably would not have bothered. I like Ward's idea of the fallen angels and helping those as the crossroads of life to make the right decision. I also liked how both evil and good had to agree on the hero. It had to be someone that was equally good and bad.

Yet, once the story started I didn't feel it. The hero seemed to me to be more good than bad. He made his decisions based on what was right. Someone that was equally both, would have some sort of flaw, right? I thought Ward should have expanded on parts of the character's history more so that we had a clearer picture of who they are and what made them that way. She went into the detail of the "now" that wasn't as important.

Overall, it was good, not great. I will be reading this next one just to see if perhaps she could work out the kinks.

I have to qualify this review by first saying that I am a HUGE JR Ward fan. Loved the BDB series so much, I spent sleepless nights reading one book after another like a junky with a full bag and a death wish. Dishes molded and laundry baskets overflowed, but nothing could take me away from the Brothers and their Hellrens. When I heard JR was writing this new series about fallen angels, my heartrate literally sped up and my eyes glazed over. Too much excitement to contain. I'm 100 pages into the novel "Covet" now, and I'm not sure I will finish it. I want to cut out my tongue for evening saying it, and please forgive me JR, but it's just not what it could have been...or should be. I know that there is a better book inside of this one, howling to be let out. I love the concept, love the idea of the BDB and this series overlapping in certain ways, and LOVE the writing style. But the characters were hard to connect with, the story was confusing in the beginning and even at a third of the way through the book, I'm not sure who I'm supposed to be focusing on as a main character. I didn't realize who was the fallen angel until just a few pages ago. I agree with the other reviewers who say this isn't really a romance. The romance is secondary to the story line. I want to see this series succeed because I know what wonderful stories JR Ward can weave. I blame the editors for not being more critical, and the marketers for promoting it as a romance when it clearly isn't, but you can't fault the writing itself. Can't wait for the next JR Ward book, whatever form it takes, because a great writer is great, even when we don't always see it.

I love J.R. Ward's vampire series because the Brothers, their wives and girlfriends, and even the servants had personalities. In Covet, I didn't feel attached to any of the characters at all. They just didn't come alive for me. I know this book is the first of a new series, so she's setting up the background and the key characters, but I feel as if there's too little info about everything, so there's not enough punch.

I also didn't buy Marie-Therese's character. I thought she was really dumb when she turns down Trez's offer of an interest free loan for her to pay off the debts. Instead, she chose to continue earning her money as a prostitute. And then, in a moment of reflection, she said she could have gotten an honest job since she was a college grad, but she chose to be a prostitute to punish herself every night, because her bad choice of an (ex)-husband caused her son so much trouble. Yikes!! if she's really concerned about her young son, the last thing she would do is be a prostitute who is at risk of being hurt or killed by weirdos, wouldn't that be worse for her son?

I liked Jim (the fallen angel) character. He seems to be hero worthy. But the story didn't give enough info about him. I also like J.R.Ward's writing, which kept the pages moving for me.

If she writes another book in this series, I 'll still try to find out what it's about and give it a read if the plot interests me.

For those of us who enjoy the typical paranormal characters of vampires, shape shifters, faeries, and the like, Ward's Covet series is a worthy diversion to consider.

The series revolves around an unlikely guy turned fallen angel (Jim Heron) who becomes engaged in a string of situations in which he has to make a difference to save mankind. Some romantic context interwoven into the story but serves more to complete the plot. Language and content very appropriate.

Covet, Book 1 takes a while to get going as other readers have already intimated but much of the foundation of the story happens in the first half. Hence, the four stars. I liked that the story's characters, including the two other angels sent to assist Jim, struggle with many of the emotions and experiences faced daily by humanity. Unlike other folks, I'm not a huge fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood... I found that series to be kind of dull.

That said, I did like Eric Dove's audio rendition and thought that overall, Covet, was a great intro into paranormal of the angelic variety.

JR Ward's "Covet" is the 1st in her new Fallen Angel series. I decided to try it because I am a huge fan of her Black Dagger Brotherhood books. But I need to start out with this warning: a BDB book, this is not.

I read this book for the first time about a year ago, when it came out. I was disappointed. I didn't think I'd want to read the sequel. But when "Crave (Fallen Angels, Book 2)" came out, I realized I did want to read it. But first, I'd give "Covet" another chance. I found I liked it better the second time around.

Here's the premise of the series: the angels and the demons are ending their age-old battle by bringing the fight of good versus evil down to seven souls. One man will try to influence those souls one way or another. That man is Jim. He's lived a hard life and done some very questionable things. But deep down his soul is good. When the book begins, he has no idea he has been chosen for this path. He's just an ex-military guy, working a construction job.

On the night of his 40th birthday, he meets a beautiful stranger at a bar and has a one-night stand in the parking lot. He finds out the next day, she is the girl-friend of the man paying for his big construction project, Vin diPietro. On the job, Jim gets electrocuted and dies. He is sent just outside the gates of heaven and learns his place in the big cosmic battle... then he is sent back to Earth. His first soul to save is Vin's.

So where is the romance? This is a JR Ward book after all. Well, at first Jim thinks his job is to make Vin appreciate his beautiful girlfriend Devina. But things change quickly as Vin meets and becomes enamoured with Marie-Terese. (If the name sounds familiar, she was a prostitute at Zero Sum back in "Lover Avenged (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 7).") Yes, Marie-Terese is a hooker, but she is a reluctant one. It turns out, she is living under an assumed name, trying to pay off a mountain of debt she incurred trying to free herself and her young son from her mob-boss ex-husband.

As our story develops, it becomes more complex. Characters we meet early on turn out to be fallen angels, or demons respectively. Even the dog is not a regular dog. And to make matters more complicated, a crazed serial killer is hunting Marie-Terese and killing men who come in contact with her where she works. She is in danger from him and in fear of being found by her ex. Vin is in danger from the demon who he may or may not have made some kind of deal with as a teenager. He keeps getting caught in the cops' radar for things he didn't do. And he is dealing with the reappearance of visions he had been rid of for years.

If you've noticed I haven't been detailing much romance, that's because it takes a backseat to all the pesky plot in the book. I think that's where my disappointment came from the first time around. I read JR Ward for romance! It's there... the few love scenes in the book are steamy. But the love story comes second to the other stuff going on.

There are few Easter eggs for BDB fans: It's set in the same city of Caldwell, NY; Marie-Terese is our leading lady; Detective De La Cruz keeps showing up to investigate the dead bodies; We get mentions of Zero Sum and the Rev; And we get a cameo appearance by (an un-named) Phury.

It's a better book than I gave it credit for the first time around. I recommend it. Just don't make the same mistake I did and expect it to be something it's not.

4 stars.

I was really excited for this newest series by JR Ward. I've enjoyed her other series alot. Overall the book was good but not great. I couldn't beleive how similar the themes were to her prior series. Just like the prior books this one features a central male character who seems way too bad a** for his own good. Later we find is really DOES have a heart when he falls for the leading female character.

I liked that JR Ward added the demon side of things but honestly I found them kind of corney. They collect jewlery and turn into a smoke? The book was very large but what was included was a bit disjointed. She jumped back and forth between the characters. And after spending so much time in the head of the main "bad guy" I found the ending really abrupt like she realized it was getting too long and needed to just wrap it up.

Overall it wasn't bad but I'm not sure I'll stick with the series. I feel much more attached to the brotherhood characters. I think they were developed a bit better. I'm still confused WHO the angels are and how they got there. What purpose do they serve? Is this a series that will focus on Jim each time because honestly Jim was starting to get a bit annoying by the end.

Once again, J.R. Ward has totally sucked me into a book. The dialogue in this one was a little better then in some of the other books. Sometimes her slang and the way the guys talk can get a little irritating. Honestly though, that's my only complaint. I think that of the books I have read by her, this one was my favorite. I am not normally into the Christian theology/angels, etc....but I found the premise to this one interesting. The characterization was well done. I really liked Jim Heron's character and the bouncing back and forth between characters and plots. It kept it interesting and fresh. Ward has that edge that just keeps you wondering what is going on. It's definitely a worthy read and I have already started the second one. :o)Highly recommended to fans of the genre

I liked this book but at first didn't hold much hope for it after reading the 7th Brotherhood book, Love Avenged, which was absolutely awash in Product Placement and cutesy abbreviation talk ("I'm outtie" for "I'm out of here" said by The KING of the Vamps, Wrath. OMG!)by the big bad Vamps throughtout the whole damn book which ruined the whole thing for me. BUT enough about the apparent crazy turn that J R Ward has taken to start writing books filled (close to every other word) with the Product Names of everything in sight and making her heros talk in abbreviations like some kind of baby talk code.

Covet was obviously written before the most recent Vampire book, LA, and sadly it is the obvious start of the Ward craziness. Luckily there was only moderate Product Placement in this book (getting to be more obvious toward the end of it)and only minimal cutsy talk ie "mani-pedi" as the shortened version of "Maincure-Pedicure" (has Ward lost her mind and her ability to spell complete words???)

The Angel series is to take the hero Jim through all the 7 Deadly Sins and at the same time play cupid by uniting the human man and woman who are major characters. Covet was about Greed I guess and I liked it and really liked the Jim the Fallen Angel and the fallen human Vin and his Love interest Marie Teresa but I see it as the beginning of the end of my reading any more books by J R Ward. As I said it is the beginning of obvious Product Placement and cutsy talk and by the time she wrote LA she had gone whole hog and filled that entire book with that kind of annoying crap. I'm pretty sure that the next of either series will again be filled with Product Placement in every sentence and cutsy appreviations as conversation by grown men who can kick ass big time but will talk like babies.

OH yes, speaking of babies, JR can not write good convincing conversations by children. The young boy in this book either talked in annoying cutesy "I gots" for "I have" (even "I got" would have sounded more natural) or sounded like a young mental giant with talk that was too mature for a child his age. It was awkward, stilted or written too cutesy, certainly not a natural, normal speech of a little boy. If Ward wants to take notes on writing how a young child speaks, she should read Dinah McCall's book "The Survivors" where the small boy is written to speak very realistically and naturally.

All in all, I am about to bid JR Ward's books a fond and sad farewell because I am willing to bet that the cutesy speak by tough, take-no-prisoners, grown men and the Product Placement will be even more prevalent and annoying in the rest of the books she writes and that will be a shame and a disappointment because I loved the Brotherhood books and would like to keep on following the Fallen Angel (Oh by the way Jim is not really a Fallen Angel because he never was an Angel to begin with so WTF?) series but not when the books are just one long advertisement for one product after another and her heros can not be bothered to speak normal bad ass English. I advise Ward to drop the over the top Product Placement and the cutsey abbreviated speech of her Big Bad Vamps and Fallen Angels. Sigh! A couple of great series of books gone "baddie"

And OH God, I HOPE that this is not a growing trend to have the name of every object, (from the clothing and boots her characters wear to the name of the whiskey they drink, and the name of the maker of the crystal glass they drink from) etc., mentioned by product name in other author's books because Ward is doing it so much that I fear it is another source of revenue she can not resist as an author or else WHY would she ruin her books this way? AND PLEASE you other Authors out there, DON'T ruin your books by whoring them out to Advertisers, it will start the downward spirel of the popularity of novels and reading in general.And shame on JR Ward for being one of the first to sell-out her talent.

To be absolutely clear, I've never been a fan of Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood. Not my sort of paranormal fun times honestly. I didn't know going into Covet that this was connected to that series/world. Kinda wish I did.

I bought this a few weeks ago and began it with a fairly open mind. I by in large like paranormal and hey Fallen Angels! We haven't done (quite) done that to death yet, so why not? And I *liked* Jim. I really did. Definitely liked him better then some Fallen Angels I've read about recently. If this had been all about Jim, well it might have gotten a little bit much(he did have some...less then appealing moments), but overall I would have been happy.

Vin and Marie-Terese? Not so much. Very little actually. I couldn't fathom anything about either one of them. There was some sort of disconnect I kept having between their backstories and current circumstances. Maybe I'm too sheltered, but I can't think of any reason when prostitution would become the *only* option left to me. I'm not saying that the characters should have harped on about it, or that Vin should have been more disapproving, but I couldn't believe that she wouldn't have become hard and bitter.

Since this will be a continuing series, an over-reaching arc was introduced, and perhaps the other books will be better. I certainly hope they're not all populated by women forced to become prostitutes (I hear this is a common thing in Ward's BDB?). As it stands now though, I won't be buying the next book, but looking for it to borrow from the library or a friend.

I started reading Covet with a totally open mind - I was prepared for no Brothers, no vampires, and to get used to an entirely new world and cast of characters. I like the characters in Covet. I thought they were well-developed. I think this book was very well-written, with some beautiful descriptions. Ward did less of the hip hop language that she went too extreme with in LU and LE and I appreciated her restraint. (I like the BDB hip hop attitudes but when ALL the characters start sounding like the brothers, it bothers me and seems very fake.) But still...there was something missing. I just didn't LOVE the characters or come to care about what was happening like I do with the BDB books. Maybe because there wasn't enough background and emphasis on the fallen angels. Maybe if she had had us get into the Angels more, it would have grabbed me more. The great thing about BDB is that there is a cast of brothers and you get to know them really well. Except for Jim Heron, we didn't get to know the FAs well. It was all about Vin and Marie Therese - and they were great characters and the romance was really well-written - but I know they are not going to be principal characters ever again - I wanted to get to know characters who I am likely (I think) going to meet over and over. I'll probably read the next one in the series because it shows promise - and because I need some Ward to read between BDBs. :-)

OK, yes, Fallen Angels is set within the same town as Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1) and the alpha males have some of the same kind of speech patterns but this book was a real let down after the Brothers. The paranormal aspects in this book are not our main characters - the protagonists are working within a paranormal framework rather than being 'other' themselves. And it made a difference. I was a little bored by the whole book, flipping past passages to get done with it. Ward's signature sex scenes were few and far between, and between humans overly concerned with condoms. [great in real life, but a bit of a bummer during an erotic read] I just don't care enough about Jim to bother with the rest of the series.

I waited eagerly for months but got a not so great surprise. JR Ward is a fantastic writer but this one was a jumbled mess. I hope the next in the series is better. Otherwise she shouldn't bother. The storyline needs serious tightening up and the characters need more developement. It's good to see a little more of Caldwell New York but I'd have preferred to have some main characters I could actually like! I couldn't root for Jim, Vin or Marie Therese since I didn't feel like I knew them and all three had seriously bad issues. I also don't see this as a paranormal romance as there wasn't much romance and the hero could have been one of three guys.(Trez makes an appearance from BDB). I am one of Ward's biggest fans but this one just didn't cut it for me.

So I won't rehash the plot because other reviewers have already done so. What you're wondering is if this is worth the read, yes? My answer is: Maybe. Ha, not very helpful huh?

I gave this a 3 star rating, rating it as though I've never read the BDB series and am unaquainted with Ward's voice as a writer. The 3 star means that I didn't hate it or struggle through it, it's very middle of the road. I'll pick up the next book but I'm not anticipating it like other follow ups.

In comparison to the BDB series, this story isn't that strong. I found myself looking for the little references to the Brotherhood and there are a few nods. I wanted to dive right into this world like I did in BDB but it just didn't happen. I think what hurt this story is that it's written to be a series. Do you know what I mean? When reading it you know there's another book coming and it's really just a set up. Don't get me wrong, that's not a bad thing - but with the BDB series, each book sort of stands alone. You could really pick it up at any point and read. I don't see that being the case with these.

What's really strong about the Brotherhood series are the bonds between the characters and Ward almost gets there during moments with Vin and Jim, almost gets there with Jim and Eddie and Adrian. Almost. But I feel like this book is a solid starting point. That the ground work is laid to really build the relationships and I hope that's what happens.

So maybe you should read this book; to tide you over til Lover Mine comes out in April, to have a light read between your darker more compelling reads, heck maybe just because you like Ward's slang and style of writing. Don't expect to be immediately won over though, I'm holding out hope that that will come with the second installment.

I not quite sure how to make of this book , if was slow in the beginning but pick up just in time. K wasn't sure I would get through it.. I'm not sure really how much k liked it. I just finished J.R. Ward's series Black Dagger Brotherhood and loved the series , so don't know if that is what I was looking for and disappointed when it was different. I will read the next to verify.

Five stars!!!

I was so excited to start another JR Ward book, after all the BDB books I expected something amazing, and got exactly that.

I loved this book, and it made me feel connected from the begging, the fact that it occurred in the same place of the BDB saga.

The characters are really interesting and have so much mystery that they keep you wanting to know more from the start.

Can wait to read the next one !

No one likes to feel depressed while reading a book. Covet was so dark that the whole time I read it, I felt down. The idea for doing a book on the seven deadly sins is an interesting idea, but was not done well in my opinion. Because Jim supposedly was just as likely to do evil as good, I really did not like him very much. I am a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, so I am use to a fairly dark romance, but this book was much worse than those books. I do not know if one good thing happened in that whole book! I also didn't like that for the first 100 pages or so I was not sure who the key main characters were. We were introduced to so many people and no one really stood out much. I did not like Jim, good/bad guy. I liked the fallen angels even less. The only halfway likeable character was the Marie, the prostitute. The romance was based purely on sexual attraction with little development past that even in the end. If you like really dark romance/mysteries, maybe you will like this book. If you want to feel happy and have a smile on your face after you finish a romance, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!

I picked up this book because I was bored, had no new books to read, and recognised the author (I am a fan of J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood, though the last few books have been less enjoyable). I did enjoy the book. Covet tells the story of Jim Heron's first mission as a fallen angel. Though I may be confused as to what a fallen angel is, as I disagree with the term the way Ward is using it. In this case these fallen angels are agents for Heaven and take orders from four rather fun men who are either deities or angels. When I hear the term fallen angel I think of the more Biblical (maybe Catholic) version: those who committed an unforgivable sin in rebelling against God and were banished from Heaven. As long as Ward is consistent in her version of fallen angels though, I really have no problem with it. Heron has to save the first of the seven people, whom he must put on the path to a better (less full of one, or more, of the deadly sins) life in order for Heaven and angels to triumph over Hell and demons. This sounds quite religious in the way I am telling it, however it doesn't really come across that way in the book, at least not in a fundamentalist way. Vin diPietro is the man he has to save from dissolving into sin (his is greed). Jim has more experienced fallen angel sidekicks, Eddie and Adrian, and Dog, who is his loyal and angelic companion. Vin finds true love in Marie-Terese, mother of an eight year old son and prostitute at a local club. Battling against demons and among themselves, the fallen angels work to make sure that Vin and Marie-Terese get their happy ending.
I like that it took place in Caldwell and that some of the BDB characters had little cameos (Phury, Butch) or proper roles (Trez), and the female main character was one we'd met before in the BDB novels (she worked at Rehv's club). Also, I found the characters interesting and relatively likeable. It didn't bother me too much that Marie-Terese was a prostitute, though I found Vin's easy acceptance a bit of a stretch (then again, this is a romance novel). I like Jim, Eddie, and Adrian, which matters more than liking Vin and Marie-Terese considering they will be the main characters of what I assume is meant to be a seven book series. Also, Marie-Terese's stalker seemed, to me, like a random add-on. We did not get an information as to what sparked his obsession, just that he was mentally unstable already. It bothered me, though not overly much as I understand that not every character can be developed.
However, there were parts of the book I found quite grating. First of all, I must admit that I am kind of a stickler when in comes to the English language, and it is clear to me that Ward either isn't, or wrote this quickly and didn't edit well. The fact that Marie-Terese's son says "gots" instead of "have" was annoying and unnecessary. It certainly didn't add charm for me. Also, I feel that she leaves out question marks a lot of the time, and though it's a small thing, I found that it made the flow of sentences more difficult. She also overuses and misuses ellipses. This is true in her BDB series, as well. I did buy the ebook version, so the ellipses could have been formatting errors, though I doubt it.
All in all, I think the book was a fun read, but certainly not something I would read twice. I would recommend it if you have some free time and not terribly high expectations. I may or may not read the next book in the series, it depends on whether or not I find myself without a new book to read

Not sure why so many people are disappointed with this book. As with all the other J.R. Ward books I have read it was wonderfully written and I enjoyed it very much. Not sure why others are saying it was not a romance novel. It wasn't your "typical" romance novel, but there was definitely a lot of romance in it. I was pulled in by the characters; I liked them very much. Granted her BDB books are very different from Covet, but isn't that the point. She wanted to break out and create a new world with new and different characters, surroundings and obstacles. I enjoyed the book very much; don't listen to the negative reviews (like I almost did) this book is well worth reading

It's nice being able to see some of BDB series referenced in this series. Such as the guy in church in the back row with the White Sox cap on, or Trez, the Iron Mask, de la Cruz and others that I forget now. To have the same "backdrop" as a series I love makes me feel right at home.

I love all of Ward's men. So kick-ass-alphas, got to love em. Her stories are phenomenal, and keep you engrossed the way through.

Covet: A novel of the Fallen Angels, by J.R. Ward. I was very excited about getting into another series, by J.R. Ward. I simply fell in love with the BDB series, and can't wait until the next installment. I wasn't expecting, The Fallen Angel Series, "Covet," to be the same as BDB, so my opinion is solely based on Covet. For me, the story wasn't as clear as Ward's other books. Covet, from the Fallen Angels Series, was slower and taken a lot longer to get into the story. J.R. Ward have created some new sexy and devilish characters to Covet, along with some old ones from BDB. Although, each new character bring their own flavor and adventure to the story, I found it very difficult to get into Marie Teresa's character. For some reason...her name drove me crazy every time I read it! I was a little disappointed with the storyline, however, I read in the comments that the story picks up toward the end. I now have hope...and look forward to reading on, and finishing Covet. I needed some motivation in order to finish. I am almost 60% finished reading it at this point.
I already bought "Crave," from the series and I'm still excited about reading it! Covet, for me, was just a little "Oops," in my book. The book is OK.

Looking for a new book series addiction? Well JR Ward serves up a tantalizing mix in her first novel in the Fallen Angels series. Its hard to compete with your own self so I have to give credit to Ward on embarking on a series that's essentially set in the same world as her BDB series. The paranormal romance world won't necessarily be rocked by this one but its a good start.

Angels and demons lead the pack this time, vying to tip the balance in humanity between good and evil. Jim Heron (fallen angel) is the 'good side' chosen one. He's been given the task of saving the souls of seven people (each representing each of the deadly sins). If he fails the balance tips towards evil and well.....let just say bad things happen. Vin diPietro is his first at bat. The driven businessman, leading a hollow existence amongst his gaudy displays of wealth, is about to get a wake-up call. And the sooner Vin discovers that his true path to eternal happiness is not determined by the square footage of ones house, the better. For evil, taking many shapes and forms plays to win. And they have a hold on Vin and they are not letting go. Soon Vin realizes that love doesn't always come in nice little neat shiny packages. It can be difficult, messy and confusing. But will it be too late for Jim to save him?

Covet is good but not a slam dunk for me. Other than the last 100 or so pages I felt the book dragged and lacked the raw edginess of the BDB series. Perhaps I expected too much too early, but I wanted to be shocked and pulled into the story. Instead I found myself laughing at times at the sheer silliness of things (angels weapons of choice anyone?) And then there is my beloved Lassiter (BDB character -not in Covet btw). Who else compared all the angels to him? And came up severely short? OK maybe Adrian. Maybe. But Jim? Not so exciting (maybe its his white socks?). I kept trying to picture in my mind a tough ex-military hog-riding, leather-wearing, super Alpha male. But it just didn't stick. He isn't scary or intense like the BDB brothers.

But all comparisons aside the romance is really good. And I recommend the book just for this reason. The love story flows well and is at the core of the storyline. Vin and his woman (don't want to give away identity to those who don't know) make a very interesting couple. Both struggle with some heavy issues and have difficulty tearing down the road blocks to their love. One thing that really got to me is how Vin dealt with his acceptance of his woman's situation. He really grew as a character. Essentially became a man before the readers eyes and not a kid out to prove that money and power equaled happiness. Loved his tender moments with his woman. But I definitely did not like his drinking. His parents were alcoholics for goodness sakes! Why was he drinking so much in the book? That was disappointing.

Anyway buy it because you love the BDB series but not because you expect anything similar. Excellent romance. Awesome villain. Solid writing. So-so Fallen Angels (hopefully Jim cracks a little, maybe Adrian needs to *help* him a bit more).

Favorite paranormal romance of mine-
Dead After Dark -read the "Story of Son"
Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 3)
The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, Book 2)
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (The Immortals After Dark, Book 3)

When I first started this book I wasn't sure I liked it. But I kept reading it anyway and I am glad I did. You can understand how Marie-Terrese ended up where she did, at least I did when I finally learned her story. And Vin, he too has quite a story to tell, and once you hear the details he makes sense. And then there is Jim. His story you have to read yourself and form your own opinion. Ordinary people with not so ordinary stories. Glad I got to meet them.

It took me a few tries to get into this book as it was hard to let the BDB go and read this a separate entity. As an Ward addict I love her writing and no one can create a world and draw you in like JR. However this great book is strictly paranormal fantasy..fiction. If I didn't know her and randomly picked this book off the romance shelf I'd been mad as hell. Someone else called it a "Bromance" and that describes it perfectly. The "romance" was a secondary couple (Vin and some chick) who may or may not return in future books and his relationship with the hero Jim was more emotional his with the girl. The hero starts out alone and ends alone and lonely except his new found bro's and Dog.

Id recommend it because Its a great book and a potential very cool new world. A romance it is not.

I was on a reading spree for the last 5-7 days and started my insanity by reading Covet by Ward. I'm a big fan of the Brotherhood but wasnt sure how this series would play. A few authors have used angels in their stories and I have loved them. For me this book was ok. I'm giving it 3 1/2 stars but thats based on my opinion and what I like not necessarily the story. To clarify, I dont like matchmaker books, fairy godparents, deceased parents or spouses playing matchmaker. Its a quirk that I cant explain other than it takes away from my enjoyment of a romance. In this story Jim Heron is given the task of stopping the 7 deadly sins starting with greed. Vin DiPietro is our millionare hero who is never satisfied with his wealth. I loved Vin!! Marie Terese is the love interest. I think I could have liked the romance between these two if the story wasnt interrupted by Jim in his efforts to fix Vin's greed and his sidekisks with their commentary and pop ups. Jim is hot and luscious with some secrets I'd love to know but I didnt care for him playing godmother and he spent more time trying to understand his role and cure the greed in Vin then doing his cupid job. I was pleased to see Trez make an appearance and another cameo from one of the brothers I love :) Another thing confused me as well- Marie Terese has a son in the book that makes less appearances than Trez and is only mentioned when he is going to the babysitter or being picked up from the babysitter. We know he is 7 but could be 2 through 15 for all the element he adds to the story. I dont like stories that have kids in them with no purpose. Again kinda like a quirk. Overall it was a good read not a great read. As for whether I would continue the series that would depend on if what happens in the end will happen in each book. Without giving away any spoilers I didnt like how Jim's leaving is handled to keep things neat. so 3 1/2 stars and I will check out the 2nd book to see if I will follow this series.

p.s. there is a fantastic excerpt from the next brotherhood book that fans will be pleased with

I guess if I had expected the magic of the BDB books I would have been disappointed, but I thought that Covet was a good beginning for this series.I was expecting the angels to be more like Lassiter in BDB, which would have been ok. But the fallen angels in this book have their own standalone personalities and they made this a fun story.

One thing I like in this story is the cloak and dagger storyline. I find it amusing that a "romance" would have a storyline like that-- and some of the details of the XOPS don't exactly gel with how real special forces operate (don't ask even ask me how I know, but trust me, I do! hehehe). But it was a nice departure from the lesser storyline in the other books.

One more thing: this was the first audiobook I have listened to in its entirety. I think a major part of my enjoyment with this book was being able to listen to it. I don't think that if I had had a print version of this book that I would have voraciously consumed as I have with the BDB-- but listening to it was my end-of-the-day treat.

Being a hard core BDB fan, I did not want to dive into Covet making comparisons. Refreshingly, I didn't find myself doing this. Instead, I simply enjoyed more ongoings of fellow Caldwell residents. I do think adding more depth of character to Jim, Ad & Eddie would draw a stronger connection to these fallen angels, but I did find myself completely enthralled by Vin and Marie-Therese. I also loved the BDB connection with Trez and Marie-Therese. That Trez--I'd love to see a juicy plot wrapped around that guy ... shadow ... man-eater ... whatever! All in all, I think Covet stands on strong legs, and I'm anxious for Crave.

I don't know how this is a paranormal romance. There wasn't anything in this book romantic at all. I loved J.R. Ward's BDB series and was hoping this would be like it. I was sadly mistaken. I did however force my self to finish the first book so I could leave an honest review. The book was very confusing between all the head hoping of all the characters. One paragraph you are reading Jim's point of view next it could be Marie or some other character. Either way, I didn't like it.

Plot Summary: Jim blew into Caldwell, N.Y. with no real purpose aside from hiding from his past, and earning a few dollars on a construction gig. When he dies on the job, four angels give him a monumental task - he must save seven souls or the world will be `won' by the dark side. Jim's first mission is to save his rich, greedy boss, Vin DiPietro and at first, Jim assumes his job is to help Vin choose between two women. There is Vin's beautiful model girlfriend, Devina, or a single-mother turned prostitute using the name Marie-Terese. Jim thinks the choice is clear and his job's a snap until everything unravels, and everyone's ulterior motives are revealed.

Okay, let's get a few things out of the way first. Do you need to read the Black Dagger Brotherhood series before starting this new spin off? No. Aside from the setting of Caldwell, N.Y., there was no crossover whatsoever. Does this book suffer from a surfeit of gangster-speak, or the weird insertion of the letter H into random words? No. The fallen angel hero is a rough and tumble former secret ops assassin, but he doesn't talk like a wannabe thug. He does have a Harley, and he drinks beer like it's the elixir of life though. The other hero is a self-made millionaire corporate shark type, but otherwise he tries to be a class act.

After reading "Covet," I've decided that a J. R. Ward story comes with certain guarantees. First, the men are all `master of the universe' material. Saying they're `alpha' doesn't begin to do them justice. They don't wear boots, but always "s--tkickers." They like fast cars, plentiful booze, and ear-piercing music. They'd never harm a woman, but they'll beat any other creature into hamburger meat with little provocation. Oh, and least I forget, their balls are huge, in fact "they're as big as church bells." Yeah, that's a direct quote.

This time around, I enjoyed Ward's story more than the romance itself, which is a strange turnabout, and may put off longtime fans. The set up in "Covet" is complex compared to the early BDB novels. Instead of a simple vampire love story, we have Jim, the fallen angel-in-training who must save Vin's soul. In the meantime, Vin falls for Marie-Terese, and while their romance was nice, it wasn't the kind of all-consuming passion that usually burns between Ward's characters. All this extra story translated into a bigger-than-usual novel - it clocks in at almost 500 pages - and I hope the next one will be leaner and meaner now that the main premise has been explained.

I thought that the villain was a fairly weak boogeyman compared to the Omega in the BDB series, however, Jim's angel sidekicks were fantastic characters, including the scruffy dog. Is it just me, or do Adrian and Eddie feel like clones of Jay and Silent Bob? Anyway, maybe it's because of the resemblance, but I do like the humor and camaraderie they bring to the table. Just like the brothers, Jim doesn't have to carry the burden of saving the world alone. I'm all set to buy book two whenever it comes out.

I wasn't really sure I wanted to rea d this but my book club chose it so I had to. I'm glad they did, I loved it. Interesting characters, intriguing plot and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

JR Ward is my very favorite paranormal romance writer, I've devoured her Black Dagger Brotherhood books so I was eager to read this new series but I'm afraid I really didn't like this! It doesn't have to be vampires for me to like it but this book was kind of boring! The characters didn't grab me and it's like she wrote this on autopilot or something. I don't even want to read the next one. The most excited I got during this book was a passing reference to Phury, a character from the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I don't recommend this book. I guess I have to wait 'til next April for the next Brotherhood novel.

I read through the whole Black Dagger Brotherhood series, in less than 6mths!! Now, while I wait for the King be available at the Library, ebooks.... I decided to check on the Angels. They do not disappoint. I am already a third of the way with books 2. Love these boys. HELLO HBO, SHOWTIME, BCC.....We need a Black Dagger Brotherhood and/or Fallen Angels miniseries!!!

Romance and redemption kick off this first sortie in a winner-takes-all endgame between angels and demons with the final outcome determined by seven battles for seven souls. The only thing that stands between those souls and damnation is Jim Heron - a man whose own soul is gray enough to make him an acceptable advocate for both Heaven and Hell.

The first soul up for grabs is Vin diPietro's. Vin is a rich and powerful man who is never satisfied with what he has even though everything he has is the very best. A man who started with nothing, did whatever it took, and bent whatever rules he could get away with to make it to the top. A man who has `lost' himself in a fog of avarice somewhere along the way, teetering on the edge of damnation, until the night that he catches a glimpse of Marie-Terese across a crowded dance floor. Seeing the beautiful and somehow familiar Marie-Terese is like a wake-up call for the soul Vin doesn't even realize that he's been loosing.

When Vin enters Marie-Terese's life she too is at a crossroads. The job which has meant her survival for Marie-Terese has been eating away her soul bite by bite. The wealthy and handsome Vin is everything Marie-Terese finds attractive in a man, but she's been there done that and paid a steep price for that mistake.

Little do the pair realize that Vin is a playing piece in a cosmic game, with points awarded based on whether or not Vin takes that final step towards damnation. But Vin is not alone on the game board, he has a champion in the form of Jim Heron - the sole person who has been chosen by both sides to help Vin with his choice. But of course Team Hell is cheating and trying to push Vin over the line. Still, even with Jim's help, it is Marie-Terese who is the key to Vin's salvation. But if Vin and Marie-Terese can't break free from the ghosts of their pasts and Jim can't head off the demon working to keep them ensnared by said ghosts, the world will be literally one step closer to Hell.

I really liked the romance between Vin and Marie-Terese and the development of both of these romantic leads. As cold and detached as Vin starts out, author Ward does a good job of transforming him so that it is easy to root for his redemption. Ward also does a great job of fleshing out Marie-Terese, a character that we've glimpsed as the lead prostitute from Zero Sum in the Black Dagger books. The back stories that Ward develops for Marie-Terese and Vin are detailed enough that there is a really good sense of not only who they are but who they were and the choices that lead them to this point. But I really like the way that they are the catalyst for each others redemption and I liked the tenderness which augments the attraction between the pair.

Okay this is the question that all of Ward's fans want answered, "Is this as good as the Black Dagger Brotherhood series?" Ward's style is pretty distinct - which means that the f-bombs, slang, and brand name dropping which irks some readers are present here - but I enjoy her style and it gives Covet the flavor of the BDB books without the fangs. What fans will appreciate - and this is what adds the icing to Ward's other books for me - is that she is already starting to setup for the strong male friendships which will carry through the series. Another plus is that the demon who is Jim's nemesis is a better adversary than the BDB's the pre-Lash-Lessers. Also fun, since this series is set in the the Brothers' home town, it looks like there will be some crossover and future development of some characters from Ward's other books - in addition to Marie-Terese, Trez and Detective De La Cruz appear - and there is a very very brief "nudge-nudge-wink-wink" drive-by cameo which will give fans a chuckle.

So the answer to the question for me is that I think that it will be as good. I say `will be' instead of `is' only because - even though I really enjoyed the romance and what we've learned about Jim so far - the fallen angel angle is not explored much here in this first book which it makes it hard to compete with the fully established series that BDB is after seven books. Personally I would have liked to have seen just a little bit more explained this go round - I was asking myself whether Jim was or wasn't a fallen angel through most of the book. Even with my lack of patience, my only other nit with Covet is I didn't much care for Jim's heavenly pep talks. Still my nits are minor and didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. There is enough promise in what's been laid out for the series so far that I liked everything else about Covet -- there is no doubt that I will be reading the next book.

Okay lets start by saying that I LOVE the Black Dagger series. So when I heard she was coming out with a new series I was very excited. JR Ward worked her magic to conect it by having some of the chacters from Blackdagger series appear in Covet which helps with always wanting to know what happened next to the great characters. Covet is a good book but it is missing some of the fun and Intense fellings that the Blackdagger series has. I got in to the book but it took much longer to become involved with the chacters then in her other series. I do think its a book that I will reread and I am looking forward to more in this series it was a good introduction to the Fallen Angels.

What a dissappointing book!! I have read all of Ward's published books, and was excited to read this one. But, it's very uninspired. The "fallen angel" idea is a great premise, but Ward fails to deliver. Even the love scenes are not as erotic as one would expect. A plus is that the world of Caldwell ties in some of the beloved characters of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. A major downside is that Ward uses the book as a platforn to put is messages of morality and little life lessons (safe sex, spousal abuse, spirituality drugs, alcholism, etc..) I won't continue this series. If you're a hard core Ward fan (like I am) you'll probably want to read this book for yourself. But buy the book second hand, check it out from the library, read some of it in the bookstore an make your own decision. But please, don't go into this novel thinking its anything more than a mildly amusing waste of time. Don't say you weren't warned.

This book is surprisingly good. It starts off slowly and a little incoherently but after thirty pages or so it grips you. I normally hate fantasy, paranormal thrillers but this story is told in such a way that it really grabs you. The digital copy has a few typos which big me to no end but it's a well thought out story. I totally recommend it. I'm on to book number 2!

It took me a long time to begin reading this book after a friend gave it to me. I just didn't think it sounded like something I'd like. When I finally gave in and read it, I was pleasantly surprised. Although I agree with some reviewers that the story was probably a bit longer than necessary, I couldn't seem to put it down. This author has an amazing ability, in my opinion, to write such interesting characters, regardless of the storyline. There is plenty of humor, suspense, drama, and romance. I'm very curious about what the storline in the next installment in this series will be.

Before he died Jim Heron never thought much of the afterlife as a special unit soldier who could be killed on a dangerous deployment at any moment. However he never expected his demise would be at a construction site. Nor was he prepared for his new assignment as a front line operative in the "war" between angels and demons; which seem to echo his old work for the military. His afterlife job is to save seven souls; each with a different one of the deadly sins sinking the person. The magnificent seven represent mankind so Jim understands the consequence if he fails to win this weird wager as the stake is humanity.

The first soul on the line is avaricious business mogul Vin Di Pietro, whose future fiancée Marie-Terese Boudreau sold her soul to evil to save her son. All Jim has to do is save the soul of Vin while finding an escape clause for Marie-Terese without harming her offspring. A simple scenario for his handler to outline, but Jim knows how easy a plan collapses when dealing with humans only; throw in angels, demons, and who knows what else they hid from him and all he wants to do is ride away on his bike.

Moving from the exhilarating Black Daggerhood urban fantasy saga, JR Ward starts her new series The Fall Angels with a great opening act. Readers obtain enough of a taste of Ward world to understand how complex yet simplified it is. Jim is a fascinating champion who knows vengeance may be the lord's domain, but he understands that; saving souls is out side his job description. With a strong cast of lost soul humans, angels, and demons fans will enjoy the exciting COVET and look forward to six more deadly sins.

Harriet Klausner

I really enjoyed this first book of Fallen Angels. It has classic Ward writing styles but it's still unique from the BDB series.

There's a lot of characterizations and descriptions of this new world. Since it is the first book, more was focused on helping the reader understand how future books are going to play out. Having said that, there are still moments where the reader can relate and see into the characters.

Jim is the angel in this book and while I had trouble buying into the whole "castle in the clouds" concept of heaven, I liked how these angels weren't all smiley and dishing out the "my child"s to everyone. Jim is a laid back kind of guy with a rough military background, which we get a glimpse of here. I really liked him and I'm looking forward to seeing more of him and his two friends.

Jim is sent to help Vin with his love life. I really liked the contrasting backgrounds of the two men and that, despite that, they're able to become good friends. Vin came from nothing, like Jim, but he's turned out to be extremely rich and powerful. Vin is still a nice enough guy if a little emotionally flat. It takes finding his true love to really make him see the life he's been living.

I don't want to get too into it (as others have done admirably), but I do really recommend reading this book. This is a top class book compared to everything else that's out there and it only makes me wonder what else is in store. Just remember that this is the first book of a series and it's only bound to get better.

Oh, and there's a brief glimpse of a couple BDB in here too, so I'm sure we'll see more of them :)

This was my first J.R. Ward novel. I was expecting more of a romance, but felt this was more fiction. It started off well, I thought, but I had to push myself through the middle (at one point I actually considered just closing the book and not finishing it) the last quarter of the book had me involved. I liked it when all was said and done and I will read the next one in the series, but I won't be itching to put in the top five of my 'to be read' pile.

I thought Jim's character lacked a little and that he really needed to be more involved. I felt we needed more input regarding Devina. I loved the TV as a means of intel gathering and thought it should have been used more. Adrian and Eddie were great, but I would have liked it if they explained more of what they were doing, I mean if I were Jim, Marie-Terese, or Vin - believe me I would have asked a lot more questions and I believe anyone else would have too. I also felt that there could have been some sort of sideline commentaries from the 'English Lads Above'. I think the middle would have been easier to get through if there had been more information to keep me interested. I am a strong reader so I was able to persevere, but a 'four-book-a-year-reader-who-never-even-sees-the-inside-of-a-public-library-less-than-two-blocks-from-their-house' person would NEVER finish this.

I am not the author, J.R. Ward is and it is her book, her story. It was good. I will recommend it to friends, but I will not be beating their doors down telling them this is a must read. And I won't be buying the book, I'm afraid this series will be relegated to the 'get it from the library'. It's just not meant to be a keeper on my bookshelf.

I am a huge fan of JR Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. When I first picked up this book I did feel that the story had a slow start. I was about 100 pages into the book and was frustrated that I felt I was not getting my read's worth out of this book. (Honestly, this is why I gave this a 4 star review instead of 5.) However, at the same time I just could not put the book down. Knowing how truly awesome Ward's BDB series is I just could not let myself put this book down. AND let me tell you that I am so glad that I didn't! JR Ward has done it again with another fantastic series!! I look forward to more great books to come.
You will come to love Jim Heron and love to hate the wretched Devina. What these two have in store for us I can only imagine and can't wait to read more!

I got half way through and then just gave up. I got this book based on the description because I've been reading books about fallen angels recently, but there is no actual fallen angel in the book. Lame! Perhaps the author describes how fallen angels play it to the plot later on but I was bored already.

In addition, J.R. Ward's writing makes Laural K. Hamilton's seem like literary genius. I quickly found myself mired in similes and pointless set up. At least LKH's work has some spice and a neat world to work in. This was just boring and hard to read (not in a literary classics sort of way, but in an I can write better than THAT sort of way).

This book was a little hard to get into. After a few chapters tho, things finally started to pull together and off we went! Jim is a human who gets chosen by good and evil to be put thru a series of tests in a contest to see which will rule the world. Interesting concept, for sure. This book was a bit out there for me but I did still enjoy it. I have already started Crave and it has began much faster than the first book. I do think this series needs to be read in order.

The first thing I had to realize about this book was that it was not the Black Dagger Brothers. It was hard because I love the Brothers. But this was not about them, it may have been set close to their world and there were whispers of a few characters we had previously met but it was not their story. This was Jim's story. The second thing, really flows on from the first, it's a new series. There was so much for Ward to set up, and for a first book it was good. I guess we have come to expect more from our favorite authors or wish that their new series were exactly like their old series. This one is not. Sometimes I felt that the characters only did things to move the story along, there wasn't a real reason for them to chose path A over B aside from it moved the story better. And other times there was information that right now makes no sense, maybe it will come into play later on, but for now it was excess baggage that could have been filled with a little more emotion from our main couple. I believe that this series is trying to find a balance between urban fantasy and paranormal romance that it just hasn't quite figured out yet, basically because our main guy will run through all the stories and presumably we will have couples in all of them. Thus we have this weird sort of threesome that most PNR readers aren't quite used to. Although Ward does appear to enjoy taking us out of our comfort zones. It was an interesting take on the old Good vs. Evil battle and I will be looking out for the next book; even though I believe that not all the books will be able to have a happy ending, simply because then we know for certain who will win... and where's the fun in predictability?

This is the first book by J. R. Ward that I have read, and it may be my last.
I was intrigued by the story idea -- save seven souls from one of the seven deadly sins, but I really struggled to get through the story.
I found the first half b-o-r-i-n-g and the second half wasn't much better. I couldn't relate to any of the characters, so caring about them was nonexistent.
The entire story was a too convoluted for me with cardboard characters that I didn't care about.

I can see why some readers doesn't like this book. Yes, it did start slow but as a new series, some things, characters or situations has to be explain first. I have a little hard time trying to understand it all but I noticed that the story still somewhat revolve to the Black Dagger Brotherhood world and timeline (which I love by the way), I wanted to give this book a chance.

And what do you know, I like it. Jim and Vin are great characters, so as Gretchen. Its a great read for a new series. Truly recommend it. I have the second book in my hand as we speak, so can't wait to finish it. =)

**** SPOILERS *****
First of, Trez was in the book, so as the Iron Mask. The book also mentioned the Reverend, description of Phury. And that got me interested to keep reading the book. =)

I really loved most of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, so I thought I'd give the first book in the Fallen Angels series a try. Not nearly as good. I thought the story was ok, but that's it. The beginning is very slow; was at least 100 pages in before it got interesting. I think the premise is good, but the execution was just not great. I don't plan to read the rest of this series. There are too many other better paranormal stories out there.

JR Ward does it again!! I resisted reading these, because I thought they couldn't possibly match the Black Dagger Brotherhood. They are not the Black Dagger Brotherhood but stands alone as a riveting and imaginative take on this genre. I'm anxiously awaiting book 3, Envy. Don't miss these! Again, I'll say she has the pulse of the paranormal/human condition - with grit and characters that never fail to enthrall, I love her brand of sexy! Vin and Marie Therese capture you immediately - and you expect to hate Vin!

I read all of The Black Brotherhood series more than once. I think the Fallen Angels series will be just as entertaining. I thought this book was a great story and look forward to reading the next one.

The first 4 chapters were hard to get through. Then the story sped up some and I became more interested in the characters. I don't think it's fair to compare the story to the BDB series, it's not like those nor is it suppose to be. Yes, there are some cross overs, but they are minimal.

What I do like about the series is that the book leaves a lot unanswered, and a lot to look forward to in future books.

As usual, her heroine is weak. The hero, Vin, is hard to get to know and doesn't quit fit the alpha male mold. But what he may lack, Jim more than makes up for.

I have a feeling this series will gain stars, peak, then drop off like BDB did. For now I give 3 stars and look forward to the next installment.

I tried to read this book when it first came out because I love the brothers, but I couldn't really get into it at the time.
Now I gave it another go and I liked it a lot. I want to see what other people Jim, Eddie and Adrian help.
If you like action, romance, and giving evil what for, this is the series for you.

Seven deadly sins is the theme of JR Ward's new series, Fall Angels. Covet, Book 1, introduces us to the main character, Jim Heron, a former assassin who is now in charge of saving the world. Jim has to embark on a quest to redeem seven misled souls, if he doesn't succeed all will be lost and demons will rule the world and take possession of all of the souls in existence.

Jim's first redemption is Vin diPietro, real estate mogul and questionable character. Vin is the poster child for Greed or Avarice to use the Dantesque terminology. Vin is a lost soul, drowning in his possessions and his lust for more and better. Jim's mission: turn Vin away from his possessions and on the path of good.

To sum up my thoughts on this novel? WTF?

Jim, a government assassin - killer of 100s of people - now trying to disappear into anonymity through construction work - gets this posed to him by four English, fancy pants, tea drinking, crochet playing, angels:

SAVE THE WORLD or else.

Or else what? Bye Bye World. Bye Bye existence - everyone just goes *poof* and the universe ceases to exist. What changes Jim's mind from the freedom he believes will appease him in non-existence? Well, you got to love this one - dear mum, in heaven - finally at peace, picking radishes or some such nonsense behind heavens stone walls. And, what is heaven you might ask? Heaven is a castle with a big wall and there are gardens where everyone toils away in peaceful oblivion - sounds more like serfs instead of heavenly denizens. to me.

Where did this plot come from, the candy machine at Wal-Mart? I mean this weak thread was all Ward could think of, and she is going to base SEVEN books out of it?

By the time I was halfway through the book, I was flabbergasted at how weak this book was. I have been a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by Ward...which is why I was all for reading Covet. I was sorely disappointed. Here is my breakdown:

Romance:

Vin had an immediate "love-at-first-site" attraction to the repentant, Catholic, prostitute, Marie-Therese. There was no development of love - it was almost fated. He spotted her, followed her, rescued her, went home, dumped his almost fiancé, came back, rescued her from the life of prostitution - he bared his soul - they had sex. Bam, done deal.

Characters:

Jim - This character was not likeable. Ward made so many thin references to his past it led to confusion. He really didn't have lot of good traits or wisdom - he kept on looking to random things on the TV to guide him, like he couldn't do anything for himself.

Vin - Also not likeable. He was so stereotypical that it was comical.

Marie-Therese - Another stereotyped, beaten, broken woman. I liked her at first, but when the interaction between her and Vin started I thought she acted pathetic. Plus, I just don't see a woman like this going into prostitution at all. C'mon if you are going to go through all the trouble to change names and the like to get away from your husband, what's forgetting a few debts???

Plot:

The plot was very thin. The entire concept of the book was weak. Out of all the Armageddon type plots I've read, this had to be the most inane. God and the Devil might as well play Rock Paper Scissors - that would make better sense.

Like many others I'm a big JR Ward fan. I have thoroughly enjoyed her books especially her Brotherhood series. Although I enjoyed reading this book, I found myself at times skimming though some sections of the book that felt a little slow. It didn't quite seem to pull me in as easily as her previous book have. As always I look forward to reading more from this great author.

A big fan of J.R. Ward and the Brotherhood series. Looked forward to the new series and was not let down. Book one did take a while to get the story started and bounced back and forth between characters which I always find a bit annoying as I have to flip back to previously read pages to put pieces together. Once the story uncovered it was a story of loss, revenge, betrayal and love. An interesting twist on the fallen angels and I look forward to the next in the series.

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this book and its storyline. I wish it had a bit more romance but that's just my personal preference. I liked the characters especially Jim, Eddie and Adrian - I found them to be quirky and interesting.

I like the Fallen Angels series because of the premise. I really like the main plot inside as well. The crossroads faced are very real, even if I don't believe in demons and angels on earth. A bit of romance doesn't hurt either.

I have read two books in the series so far and I will keep reading as long as they are written!

I enjoyed JRWard's Brotherhood series, so I gave this one a try. I was happy to see her familiar detailed writing and strong character development. It was great having the setting be a familiar on, Caldwell, NY. She tells just enough backstory to pull you on even more. I loved getting to see small cameos of a few BDB characters. I found myself making predictions early on and so thrilled to have them not come true!

I am a JR Ward fan so I was very excited to see a new book/series. I was a little worried by all the negative reviews but I bought it anyway. Wow, am I happy I did. I like Jim a lot. He is a take-it-as-it-is kind of guy. Vin was never boring. Jim's two sidekicks are interesting and I can't wait to learn more about Dog. Ward leaves herself open to move the characters in so many directions. Take a chance and pick this book up. It can only get more exciting as we go. Cricket anyone????

I really enjoyed Book One in this new series. It's such a lovely fresh take on Angels - these are not pious and saintly - they swear, get into punch-ups, smoke, drink and have the odd romp between the sheets (or on the seat of a pick-up). It's not to be taken seriously or over-analysed - it's fun, easy reading light entertainment. Going to download the next in the series right now!

This is the first book I've read by J.R. Ward. I was looking for a new author to try and this didn't disappoint! Great pace. A bit of action, a bit of romance and, of course, the supernatural! Being the first book for a new series, character's personalities are well developed but backgrounds are mysterious. Great start for the series. I'll definitely be reading more by Ward.

This book was, undeniably so, one of the worst books I've ever read. And one of the most boring...I've been reading this book for a few weeks. I bought it the day it came out, and I'm just finishing it today. I won't go into plot, enough people have done that. But I will state why this book was so deplorable to me, and why it went into the trash. Very few books I've read earned this honor, but this one certainly does.

Boring. This book was incredibly boring. It took a few chapters before I figured out who exactly the protagonists in the story were. It was just long boring scene after long boring scene. I finally gave up and re-read another book in between. (Force of Nature by Suzanne Brockmann never disappoints. It's my fallback book when other books frustrate me.) When I finally came back to this book, I had to re-read some of the previous scenes, b/c I completely forgot what Covet was about. Yes, it was just that unremarkable.

Astonishingly Unbelievable. Okay, it was about fallen angels, how much more unbelievable can we get? Well, JR went there. The "millionaire falling in love with the hooker" storyline always makes me giggle to myself. I mean, REALLY!! It was just sad. And the love scenes between Marie-Terese (Gretchen) and Vin were wrong on SO many levels. I don't care how careful she was with the clients, or how she was forced into her situation, those love scenes made me wanna puke! I kept thinking, gross. It was NOT sexy. Plus, I always hate books where there's "instant attraction." It just strikes me as "laziness" on the writer's part.

Also, did anyone else remark on how silly some of the other scenes were? I mean, why again did Adrian introduce Jim to Devina? The explanation just didn't make sense to me. He'll fight for "right" to the death, according to his partner, Eddie. So lets just set the "savoir" up with the enemy, who just happens to be pure evil. Literally. Huh?! I don't get it.

And the final reason I hated this book was, it oozed Pure Creepiness. I mean, this book really freaked me out. I LOVE paranormal romances, but leave me with vampires, werewolves and other creatures of fantasy and lore. Yet, in addition to "fallen Angels," this book (uncomfortably so) dealt with demons, demonic possessions and exorcisms. Huh?! How is that sexy? I don't watch those things in movies, so forgive me if I prefer not to read about that stuff during my "relaxing" reading time. That stuff DOES NOT relax me!

So, I'm passing. Not just on this book, but on the whole freaking series. I love the BDB, so of course I'll read those. The Fallen Angel series: not so much. I'll just pray the worlds don't cross too often. But as for Covet, after I read it...it went straight in the trash. I usually give my unwanted books to friends or Goodwill, but even I wouldn't feel comfortable inviting that book into anyone else's house.

**No Spoilers**

I am a huge JR Ward fan so my expectations are high for anything new from this author. I purchased and read the book not because of the less than intriguing synopsis on the back cover but rather because I enjoy Ward's writing style and intense character development.

It comes as no shock that it wasn't as good as the Black Dagger series. There are some interesting characters in the novel but Jim, the lead male, is a bit dull. I felt no passion for his station in life and found the lack of back-story on his past distracting. I kept thinking - "When am I going to get to the flashback that helps me understand why this guy is acting like such a lug"!

On the plus side, the series has potential and Covet may just be a setup for what is to come next. We can expect to see 6 more books in this series so I will keep my eye out for the next one and hope Ward steps up her game.

So, in summary, if you are a fan of Ward, buy the paperback for an inexpensive, quick read. If you are new to JR Ward, then buy the Black Dagger Brotherhood novels and come to love the author first.

I am in love with all the Brothers and was hesitant to pick this one up because I was afraid I would hate it for not being about the Brothers. I loved it. It's definitely dark and the characters take some getting used to but I found myself really caring about them. I think that as the series goes on we'll all like the first book more and more. Looking back, I like each of the previous Brother's books better as continue with the series.
I had not problem with Vin or Jim. I thought Jim was really funny and his taking in Dog felt realistic, which made me like him even more. My real concern, when I started reading, was about how I would feel about Marie-Terese. I wasn't sure if I could connect with her but I did. I cared about her and Vin and that kept me hooked. My point is, it's not the Black Dagger Brotherhood, it is something different but with the flavor of BDB that caught and kept my interest. I really liked this book and can't wait for the next one.

I guess what bothered me the most about this book is that I simply could not warm up to any of the characters. About half of the book is about Jim, who I did not find intriguing on any level. The other half was evenly split between Vin and Marie-Therese. I felt like they got short-changed. To make it worse, many of the scenes between Vin and M-T were told through Jim's point of view. To me, this created a sense of distance that was disconcerting.

I love the BDB books, and don't mind when significant amount of page space is devoted to other chatacters because they are so engrossing. The BDB books have a momentum and an intensity of emotion that makes me ache for the characters and plow through the book dying to see what happens next. I care about the PEOPLE (ahem, or vamps, as the case may be!) I don't care so much about the intricate vampire or lesser history....although those are interesting too. I'm dying to know when John Matthew figures out who he is, when Phury is going to man up, how Bella is doing keeping Zsadist on track. I buy JR Ward's books because she has me hooked on these beautifully drawn characters.

I just did not get that feeling from COVET. Jim is a standard issue character. Vin and M-T are more interesting, but did not get enough page space together to develop much electricity. I also thought the whole premise of the series is a little gimmicky. I don't think I'll be reading the rest of the series. (I kind of wish Ward would resurrect her Jessica Bird persona.)

I`m a big fan of JR Ward, so was thrilled to see a title I hadn`t read before. Nothing about the plot or the characters grabbed my interest the way any of her other books have. I certainly wouldn`t be interested in reading any other books in this series. If you have not read JR Ward before, start with her BLack Dagger Brotherhood series which is much more interesting.

After discovering JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series this past year and reading all of them in a few short months, I was highly anticipating this new series. She's an incredible writer - using a level of language, style and techniques that I have seen in very few other authors. However, I feel that COVET fell totally short of her normal quality of writing and storytelling. I downloaded the book to my iPod but it still took me weeks to finish it because I was so disengaged with the characters. I even started and finished another book in the middle of this one. COVET was heartbreakingly boring for me, and Im not really sure Im interested in following the next book in the series. And that shocks even me. Warden, Im looking foward to JM's book in April... Im sure that will be much better!!!

I read this book with great anticipation after Wards BDB series. She's a great author and I was looking for another series to get absorbed into. Covet just wasn't engaging. The characters didn't embrace me, I didn't feel for them and forgot them shortly after closing the book. I did feel sad that I didn't like it more. It's a solid book but the story line didn't captivate me or leave me wanting more. I wish Ward had spent the time on BDB instead of this new story line.

I'm sure most people picking up Covet are fans of JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood and my advice to you would be (as hard as it is) to forget about the Brothers (just for a moment) and enjoy this story for what it is. Ward has created a whole new mythology here, that of Angels, Demons and the occult and given us some fantastic new characters to play in it. Her unique writing style makes this story feel familiar from the get go and I loved revisiting the places I've come to know in Caldwell N.Y. through the Brotherhood. Seeing the city in the daylight was especially fun and I revelled in the familiarity of these new yummy characters with their loud music, unique slang and multiple f-bombed banter. Yes, it's good to be back with the WARDen again.

I found writing a synopsis really difficult here without giving too much away so I'll just set the story in motion. Jim Heron, as one of the main characters is no Angel *wink, wink* He's lived his life on both sides of the law and that's what makes him the perfect impartial choice for the angels and demons ultimate end game. Jim has been chosen as the deal breaker in a game of good vs. evil and given the task of saving the souls of seven people from one of seven deadly sins, If he fails so does all of humanity, so it isn't really an option.

The first soul Jim is sent to redeem is that of Vin diPietro, a wealthy and powerful yet dissatisfied business man. He's also Jim's boss. Through circumstances Jim finds himself at the nightclub The Iron Mask (previously ZeroSum) with Vin and his beautiful but mysterious fiancé. This situation is awkward in a host of different ways (no spoilers here) but it allows us to see Trez again and for Vin to see Marie-Therese across a crowded dance floor and not be able to look away. We of course get into Marie-Therese's head and learn the whys and how's of her life as a prostitute (this is not a spoiler, she was in Lover Avenged) And her story is very interesting. We then enter a love triangle of sorts and a serial killer sets his sights on Marie-Therese. Meanwhile Jim adopts a dog and tries to save the world while Vin faces a horrifying ancient evil.

So, these are the four main characters involved in Covet and they all go through some major personality changes during the course of this story. There are also several secondary characters, some of which have been well fleshed out but others like Jim's two Fallen Angel mentors have unfortunately been left a little vague.

This gets 4.5 stars from me and I would recommend it. I become invested in the characters and couldn't put it down, I laughed, I shook my head, shrieked and sighed. The love scenes are amazing and I liked Jim as the hero and his little dog too. Vin and Marie-Therese's evolving romance is captivating and sexy, although those of you looking for a typical romance novel may be somewhat disappointed. I didn't feel as though I'd learned enough (or gotten enough) of the Fallen Angels but the antagonists were well done and even a little scary (albeit they didn't smell like baby powder.) The last 100 pages of Covet are heart pounding and in the end Ms Ward left me wanting more. Do yourself a favour though and don't search for the cameo appearances from the Brothers while you read this, just enjoy the story. They are there but be warned they're very brief. (I will however admit to screaming like a little girl when I found them.)

There is not one series out that compares to the writings of this author. Each book is perfectly written. Captivated me from the very beginning. I fell in love with these characters and I don't want either series to end. Thank you so much for these books. Perfect Job!!!!

I really loved this book. Having flown through all the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, I was craving something new. I decided to try J.R. Ward's new book Covet. I was a little unsure. Having loved the Black Dagger books so much, I didn't think this new series could live up to them. But, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

No, I don't think it's as intense as the Black Dagger books but, Covet had a rich story and very interesting characters. Like the Black Dagger books, the characters in Covet reach out and grab you. Ward writes with emotional intensity that sucks you in.

I just finished the book and immediately ran to the computer to see when the next one in the series is being released. I think this series shows tons of promise and I can't wait to read the next Fallen Angels book.

It was an interesting take on Angels and Demons. I liked this book and it wasn't because of the romance, or the human aspect of it. Like the other series, this one is very edgy and full of action. It has the same darkness to it, and the writing style is similar enough that I can't stop reading. Overall, a good start to the series.

After reading the Brotherhood Series I became a HUGE JR Ward fan and couldn't wait to get my hands on the Fallen Angels Series. I love these books. They are long and do take awhile to read, but that makes them all the better to me. I would recommend reading the BDB set first because even though this isn't a vampire book, the characters are in the same town and "run into" members of the Brotherhood, only you wouldn't know that if you haven't read the BDB books.

It takes a little while to set up the storyline, but be patient, it's totally worth it and once the book gets rolling it's quite a ride! I'm a huge fan of Ward's BDB and it was great to visit Caldwell again and get glimpses of some familiar characters while meeting these new guys. (Even got a really quick cameo from Phury!) And the new guys are freakin' awesome! I can't get enough, and just downloaded the kindle version of Covet, the 2nd book in the series. I'm hooked and while I'm waiting for the next Brotherhood story, this is fun! I'm already in love with Jim. :-)

I liked it, I didn't love it. It was a little slow in the beginning for me. I liked the overall story and enjoyed the key characters. This book is the first in a series but I don't know if I'll continue on with any more just yet. However, I am curious what the main character will do next so maybe someday.

I was and am in love with the BDB series. I had high expectations for Covet and was excited to begin reading. You have to hook me right away or at least have one thing I want to know more about to continue reading. I forced myself to read 100 pages and never picked it up again. I thought the whole opening with heaven..golf...betting.. and the characters there was just a bad idea not to mention boring. Very disappointed.

I'm a die hard WARDen lover, and so I just had to have this book. I'll admit that I had a hard time staying focused for the first ten chapters while J.R. built the characters and the storyline, but by the end I was hooked and I ordered the second one to go with the first.

A word of caution~ These are NOT the BDB books, nor did she intend for them to be. If that's why you bought it then you are going to be disappointed. There is not one mention of the Brothers or their existence in this book or the next one!

I love J.R. Ward books so I was excited to start a new series. I enjoyed the characters and couldn't wait to get to know their stories. And I always get a kick out of when characters from another great series make appearances in different stories.

I enjoyed this book. I see a lot of reviewers didn't like it and said it wasn't as good as Black Dagger, but it is NOT a Black Dagger book. For me this story had a different feel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. What makes JR a fantastic author is her character development. I didn't find this boring at all and am looking forward to seeing where the series goes. Good read.

That's all one needs to say...if you've read one you have to read them all. She's fabulous and this story fits right in line with what I expect from her. I love the wordless cameos by certain Black Dagger Brothers....they gave me moments of 'squeal'.

Great start to a very promising new series. Smooth read (finished it in two days); interesting concept and an original take on the battle/"game" of good vs. evil; four croquet-playing, pinky-up tea-drinking, heavenly Englishmen with a pet dog who give clues by suddenly showing up on infomercials; and the seven deadly sins... What's not to love?
Looking forward to the next books!

I found this book very interesting and a new take on the paranormal. It's really not a romance, per se, but there is a romance in it. It just doesn't involve the "hero". There also did not seem to be much in the way of a physical description of the protagonist. I'm also not sure which deadly sin this story was about. Was it gluttony because Vin kept talking about being hungry for the best of everything or was it greed? And while I'm looking forward to the next "deadly sin", I'd rather have a new BDB story.

I was one of the first people to read and review the BDB books by this author and I was totally rocked by the series until... well, you know. The first four books were awesome anyway. I gave Covet a chance because I am one of those who gave up on the BDB series. I was not disappointed at all in this book and look forward to the next one in the series.

Caution: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK RIGHT AFTER YOU READ THE BDB SERIES. Read some other books you've been meaning to read... then read this one. If you don't, you may expect the BDB and this book different-Good, but different. I love the BDB series and read all of these reviews before I read Covet. I found a lot of people were upset that is was not more like the BDB series. That is ok (and true)... but it did not make this a bad book. I found that I was unable to get into it because I kept waiting for the BDB series (just like them). By page 150 or so... I gave up the BDB expectation and enjoyed the book for being what it was- interesting, thought provoking, and entertaining.

I am not disappointed in this book because it is not about the BDB characters, I was ready for a completely new cast to entertain me. Problem was...no entertainment. As a matter of fact I took a deep breath on page 112 and was shocked to realize that I still hadn't met a character yet that I cared about. Shocked because Ward has never before failed to write characters that vividly come off the page. It just didn't happen in this book. I will say I had grown a little more interested before the end but not by much.

So we have lackluster characters, what about plot? The plot was ridiculous at best. The final battle for the fate of the world and the best the good side can come up with is an off-duty government assassin with over 100 kills? This is the good guy? The assassin with the heart of gold? Right, except he didn't have a heart of gold either. But if he doesn't accept his mission then all of creation is going to be wiped out as if it never existed. Since he doesn't care about anything he says that will be just fine with him. But wait, his mother is in Heaven and she is enjoying the only peace she has ever known. Well, in that case he'll accept. But if everything is wiped away how will his mother know she lost Heaven? Um, nevermind, it doesn't make sense but carry on. Now we are involved with a Catholic good and evil plot in the same town the Brotherhood lives in. How does that mix with the Omega and Scribe Virgin? Um, nevermind, just further examples of a nonsensical plot. If none of that makes sense then no surprise that none of the parameters for the Fallen Angels make much sense either.

On a more positive note the book did pick up a little toward the end. But Ward dropped the ball there too. Much of the action happened "off camera" and it wasn't explained how things were accomplished or even what happened. Why would key scenes be left out, especially when they promised to be so interesting? Since those scenes involved the demon's behavior it was as if her imagination failed when it came to describing the evil side's activities. It really left a hole in the book when it came time for the big show-down between Devina and the Fallen Angels and there was no show-down. And she had been one of the more interesting characters so her presence was missed.

Apparently there will be at least six more books in the series. The other reviews are saying that the first book is sometimes slow to get started. She is going to have a lot of room for improvement. Frankly if I want a shot of J. R. Ward I'll just go back to the Brotherhood. This series is going to have to carry on without me.

This was a BIG letdown. I am a big fan of Ward's BDB books so I could not wait for a new spin off to come out. She is all over the map, with her storyline and the characters. It doesn't feel like she knows where she is going with it all and that makes it hard to read and enjoy. I would tell you to pass on this one. If you want something by Ward while waiting for the latest BDB to come out grab her shot story "The Story of Son" found in Dead after Dark. That is worth the read.

Like the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, Covet takes place in Caldwell. Since I had just finished reading the BDB series, I was happy to find out that the book goes into the lives of some of the more minor characters from those books. About halfway through, I just couldn't put this book down. The suspense and mystery is great! Ward's brash dialogue is there just like in the BDB books, and I love it. If you're a fan of the Brothers, you'll no doubt be a fan of this series as well.

It wasn't what I was expecting, and it didn't really move me. It was an okay story but after reading the BDB I just expected a bit more paranormal and actual fighting for the soul. It moved kind of slow, usually when I get Ward's books I devour them in two days at most, this one took me a week to finish. I will check the next book and see, but I'll probably get it from the library rather than buying it.

This book was awesome. I love the devils vs angels aspect of it. I love J.R Ward with a passion. I despise Devina so much. She is a vindictive little tramp of a demon. Never disappointed with these books or this author!!! - Reviewed by Ashley E. of Faebooks

J.R. Ward has chosen to go a different paranormal route with "Covet". She leaves her beloved vampires (mostly) momentarily behind as she targets angels and demons. I realize there are differing opinions on how this works out but I for one thought "Covet" was fantastic. J.R.'s writing style is very much unique to her and within the first page I recognized trademark Ward storytelling. This means muscular big men, conniving hate-filled villains, a romance blossoming between two unlikely characters, and a thrilling race to the book's conclusion. Unfortunately it also meant hearing boots described as sh--kickers. Yeah, that makes me cringe even in the Black Dagger books. "Covet" follows a mysterious man named Jim. Jim has done some regrettable things in the past but soons finds himself a pawn between angels and demons in a `game' of saving seven souls (based on the seven deadly sins). His first job somehow involves a wealthy business tycoon named Vin who is about to propose to his girlfriend Devina. Jim has to figure out first Vin's problems and why he is at a crossroads in his life. Then he has to fix the problem and lead Vin on the correct path thereby winning one for the angels. As with other J.R. Ward stories, a lot of this story's effectiveness hangs on how readers feel about the characters. I thought Vin, Marie-Terese, and Jim were well developed. Even more than the blossoming (well done!) relationship between Marie-Terese and Vin, I enjoyed seeing the friendship between these manly, hardcore men develop. (Another strength we see in the BDB books). I don't know precisely where Ward is going to take us on the next ride, but I will certainly be there. Her quality books have earned her a spot on my `buy without question' list. Not all books get to stay there, but I feel sure that Ward will keep me faithful for a long while. This is a five star book because I simply couldn't find anything that detracted from my enjoyment of the story. I wouldn't mind more run-ins with my Black Dagger boys though!

A snoozefest that i'm trying to read through. I expected more from this author because I loved this brotherhood series. I decided to start reading this series, hoping it would be as good and buying time till the next installment in the brotherhood series. Boy, was I wrong. This story doesn't drag me in, the writing seems more complex then it needs to me. In my opinion the story just doesn't flow. Will be returned.

...to a new series by JR Ward. Taking place in some classic locations for readers of Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series, there's a lot that's familiar in this story and also something new.

For one thing, the paranormal elements are different. We do see cameos of characters from the Brotherhood world, which means vampires, but the story doesn't really hinge on them. So, we're being introduced to a new mythology, containing black magic, angels and demons. She's created a pretty good lore. Some things are left to be explained as we go along, but it's fairly easy to understand and the background left to be filled in isn't missed within the story.

Jim Heron is the main character of the series, although it seems there will be a romantic story line to each book. This one dealt with Vin and Marie-Therese (who was introduced in the BDB book, Lover Avenged). We basically had two main stories woven together with Jim learning his mission/destiny and the lovers finding and falling for each other. The two stories work really well together and the suspense, particularly toward the end, was fairly intense. With Jim still hazy on what expectations are being placed on him as well as trying to learn the tools he can depend on, I anticipate another two-story weave for the next book, as well.

My one complaint is that Ward is beginning to remind me of a singer who has a very strong instrument and a marvelous trill but doesn't know when to let a single note simply carry the moment. She's great at giving inner thoughts, philosophizing and creating analogies for the current action. In fact she's quite strong in that area. But there are moments that might be better served by just telling the story in a straight-forward manner. Just like the singer with the fabulous, skillful trill would better serve the song with a less-is-more approach, simply laying out events as they're happening might better serve the story being told. At times I felt the narrative was cluttered. But not by bad writing. Too much of a good thing that should really be used as a decorative effect. The story is strong enough to survive without the gingerbread.

Now that I've metaphored the heck out of that criticism, I can say that I did really like this book and I recommend it.

ETA: I strongly implore Ms Ward to get a couple of beta readers. Continuity errors are riddled throughout and it's a problem that's also become prevalent in the BDB series. This is exactly the kind of thing that causes an audience not to commit to an author. You never know when a guy is going to drive off in the same car his girlfriend just drove off in an hour or so ago. She's got fans on her site that would do it for free. Either no editor is actually reading this or she's deciding to leave fixable errors in. Either way, she's too big an author to keep getting away with it. I still recommend this book -- none of the blips posed a problem in the actual story line -- but it's not the kind of thing she'd want to be known for, I imagine.

This book was just boring and difficult to get into let alone finish. I am still struggling to get to the end and I've been reading for two weeks. I keep putting it down hoping that if I walk away and come back things will get better but Vin, Marie and Jim are still there doing nothing that captures my interest or imagination. The book is too long, could have cut out half of it and not missed a thing. Full of filler that bogged me down. I will not be reading the next book in this series, but I will continue to look forward and read BDB.

Okay so I thought it was just me. I loved the BDB books so I just assumed Id like the Fallin Angel series. Yea I dont think so. I bought this book when it first came out and I still have yet to finish it. I dont do that I finish books, dont I ? Obviously not. I dont even know where Covet is I rhink its on my bookshelf hell it might be at work keeping a table in the breakroom steady. I still love J.R. Ward and shes my inspiration to write but not with this series. I just found it to dificult to care about the characters and sorry but I needed more sex or at least more meaningful sex. I am looking forward to the next BDB book. Maybe I dont do Angels?

This is a different type of reading for me... Decided to read book four after reading a review on it... It was really good, do I had to go back and read books 1 through 3... Looking forward to reading book 5 later this year...!

This is what will be the first book in a series. Well, it's great. I am so glad I have discovered this very talented author. What was different about Covet from some of the other books I've read is the fact that the plot was just so good. It really took off in places I did not expect and that's saying something as I usually know many of the twists and turns a book will take. Overall, a great read and if you're not familiar with JR Ward but would like to read something, I believe this is a good one to start with. Also good: Deep Kiss of Winter.

I did not expect the BDB and was ready for a new series by this author. So I ignored the reviews and figured if it is Ward, it will be good.

flat, boring characters. I skimmed it just to finish. Awful

This is going to be harsh and I feel a bit guilty because I LOVE JR Ward! That said, I cannot believe I (and all the other J.R. Ward fans) have to wait through even one more book where the fait of the world rests upon the shoulders of a guy named Jim. Let me just say I REALLY wanted to like Jim (despite his name) but I found myself more attached to the side characters and unfortunately that is to say, not much at all. It was a gutsy and creative idea to write the romance of the side characters through Jim's perspective but in the end it distanced me from them as well as the story. I found it a frustrating and disappointing read to say the least. On the up side, I believe the books are only going to get better from here as they certainly cannot get any worse.

I just want to start out by explaining that I am a huge J.R. Ward fan and was really looking forward to getting my hands on a fresh new story of hers. Unfortunetly, Covet left me confused, frustrated, and way too si-fied out to really appreciate why I pick up her books in the first place. For the romance!

The only reason I'm giving this book the two stars that I am is because it's a J.R. novel, and inspite of Covet, I still love her.

She starts the book off by letting you get to know four different main characters... Jim, some sort of fallen angel who sleeps with Devina, some sort of sexy demon woman, who happens to be dating Vin, a rich although tortured soul who falls in love with a prostitute named Marie-Terese. Confused yet? I sure was.

Sadly enough, it's not until page 121 that the real main characters actually meet each other, which are Vin and Marie. Now get this, it turns out that Jim's mission is to save Vin from his current girlfriend who just so happens to be a demon in disguise, then hook Vin up with Marie-Terese in a typical "Pretty Woman" senario. Only problem is Vin's life gets complicated when he begins to see dead people again, the demon won't go away, the prostitute is being stalked by someone connected to her abusive ex, and the future of the entire world is riding on whether or not Jim can turn this into a happy ending.

In other words, what in the name of all that is hot J.R. Brotherhood loving did I just finish reading?! Don't get me wrong, the characters are well developed and the writing is still her familiar style, but the plot is just plain old crazy! I spent so much time trying to figure out what in the world was going on that I felt robbed at the end of the book because the love story was second to the whole heaven/hell demon vrs angel plot. This book should have been in the thriller/ mysterey/ paranormal section of the book store, because a romance it was not.

Covet is a completely new direction for J.R. so I recomend reading it to see for yourself if this new flavor is to your liking. As for me, I'm choosing to return it just based on the fact that I expected an intense love story and instead was introduced to all things Catholic and supernatural. Big dissapointment.

I am a big fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, so I was excited to see a new series by JR Ward. Unfortunately this book doesn't measure up. The story wasn't very interesting, the romance was boring, and the characters just didn't click for me. Additionally, the plot and dialog were just plain silly at times. I'd expected more depth and passion. Disappointing book, but I'm still looking forward to the next BDB book.

This is my first book of JR Ward and won't be my last. I loved the storyline and got into the charactors very quickly. The book flowed for me and I will be looking forward to further books in this Fallen Angels series. In the meantime, I'm going to catch up with what she's written so far. If you like paranormal fiction that has "depth", you will enjoy this book.

I didn't read a single thing about this book before I bought it. It looked good and everyone had been talking about it so why not? This book was not at all what I expected--it was much more. J.R. Ward does it again with her brilliant writing. She knows just how to lighten a situation by her clever metaphors and witty writing. I wonder what book two will have in store for us!

As a long-time fan of Ms. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series, I was delighted to grab this book when it hit stores last week. The story is imaginative, and both the action and dialogue are classic Ward. I enjoyed the peppering of small BDB cameos throughout but was pleased that Ward created a spin-off world that was separate yet not completely apart from her previous work.

I'm utterly intrigued by these fallen angels (let's hope Lassiter makes an appearance or two) and will read future books hoping that she explains the existence of two supernatural/religious lexicons in the same universe--the BDB's Omega `evil' vs. Scribe Virgin `good' mythology compared to the seemingly Christian demons vs. angels realm.

My only major complaint about this book is its poor grammar. It appears that both Ward and her copy editor have completely forgotten when and how to use question marks and other proper punctuation. Ward's last book, Lover Avenged, was horribly deficient in this area, and I'm sad to say the downward trend continues in this book. Overused and misused colons anyone?

Like the fellow reviewer who asked for a Beta Reader to check her continuity errors, I would implore Ms. Ward to find a better overall copy editor. Sadly, these grammatical errors are becoming too much of a distraction--speed bumps, if you will, to Ward's witty and fast-paced flow. Should we honestly pay to read something from a `professional' writer that reads more like it's from a 5th grade lit paper?

Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of J R Ward. So I was looking forward to the first book in this new series. Im not going to go into what the book is about because others will but I wanted to put down what I thought. I was thinking it was going to be like her first series..BDBH... and it was kinda but not as much as I thought it would be. I do think Phury made an appearance. Being that the BDBH series was so huge I think alot of others will agree that the standards were high for this one and I dont think they will be dissapointed. I liked the plot and the action through out the book. The only thing that, to me, it fell short on was it didnt have enough of the romance that Ward is known for. Yes there are some good senes in the book but nothing like what was in Dark Lover or Lover Awakened. Nothing that will make you sit back and fan yourself. But all in all it was a good start I think. I am looking forward to finding out the back story with Jim. Something I am hoping will come in the following books. I did like the guys on Harleys but again they were not fan worthy. By the end of this book I closed it with a warm heart about Vin and Gretchen, Ward again made me feel connected to them like she has with other characters in her past books. Vin put me in mind of Rev. with the way he was so business savy and single minded untill he saw Gretchen. Im giving this book a 4 star because of the romance but I would recommend it to others.

I was so looking forward to a new book from Ward, and a fallen angel series that I thought would contain the angel from the brotherhood books. I liked that character. This is a bad story, bad plot and egually disappointing characters. Her characters in the brotherhood books are easy to like, and I love the romance. But this one???? There are no discriptions of the characters, there is no likability. I don't really care what happens to them. I am very disappointed. Won't be reading this series I'm sorry to say. Maybe she won't wait too long to do a brotherhood book.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this series. Most of the time I have a hard time getting into another series by the same author because they are usually written differently. This one though is not. It starts out in the same town with some secondary characters from the BDB series which made it very familiar starting out. And well.... Now I'm hooked. Onto the second book!!

I am a huge fan of JR. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood, so I was very excited when I learned of Ward's new series. So far book one has been a big disappointment. The story line in Covet is quite frankly boring and the book is taking me forever to get through. Hopefully the next installment will be better...In the mean time bring on more brothers!!!!

I really wanted to love this book...i drove 50 plus miles to snag it from a walmart...and sadly the book (to me) wasn't worth the drive. much like "lover enshrined and lover ahvenged" this book didn't have the same resonance as earlier novels...the characters didn't pull me into their world....and it really didn't seem to ring true....i'm sure the book will grow on me with a few more readings...i personally love J. R. Ward's way of writing...her word play and unique style but this book fell just a little flat for me....its not on my list of books that i can't live without.

I didn't like it. The dialogue was lame, the characters were flat and the situations were less than probable. In particular, the main character was supposed to be worldly, instead he was naive. The men fell for a cliched female "vamp" with no class who was actually a bit of a monster. I didn't get halfway through it, it was such a disappointment. I didn't like any of the characters. The only one worse from this author is Unforgettable Lady...it was totally forgettable. I still like the Black Dagger Brotherhood series but this book brought some worries with it that the books and characters would become banal, boring and generally bad. Hopefully, it's just a temporary glitch any prolific writer is prone toward.

I regret listening to the full audio book and wished I would have just cut it short. They have so much cussing in the books and drop the F bomb like nobody's business. I'm not a goody goody but phrases like 'Thank F' - that doesn't make any sense to me! Anyway, lame book and crappy story.

Disappointed! (Think Otto from a Fish Called Wanda when he finds that the key to the loot is not in the fishtank, although I wouldn't shoot at poor defenseless fish). As a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood (BDB) books, I was sadly disappointed. I knew this was a new series, so I wasn't expecting a duplicate of her other series, but I was expecting a great romance, which this was not.

First of all, the romance was not the central storyline. This really bothers me: Publishers, market the book honestly and you'll have fewer disappointed readers and more buyers for the next in the series. I would return my copy if I hadn't creased the spine. If this had been marketed with the other supernatural urban legend books (Charlaine Harris, etc.), I would not feel as cheated. **Spoilers ahead, read at your own risk.

The central character was neither the hero nor the heroine, but a "fallen angel" on his "probationary" period, Jim Heron. Although, exactly how he can be a fallen angel, when he was never an angel, but a man, is a mystery to me. However, he was the best drawn character and my favorite, but I'm not sure that's enough to motivate me to purchase the next book in the series. He is charged with saving seven souls, each one has succumbed to one of the seven deadly sins. In fact, our very existance depends upon his success, we are to believe. Vin is his first soul to save. He is helped in this endevour by two other fallen angels, Adrian (mmm, he sounds sexxyy) and Eddie, a stong, silent type. Still, neither one of these two halo-wearers sounds nearly as interesting as Lassiter from Ward's posts and Lover Avenged. Lassiter, yummy and sigh. To be fair, Ward never mentions halos. Also, interestingly enough neither does she ever mention wings, which I think would be erotic, sort of the equivalent of a vampire's fangs.

Also, most of the supernatural elements were pretty cheesy and hoaky (hoakie?), which I found very surprising considering THIS IS A.J. frieking WARD! I mean, the world she created in the BDB books is soooo good, and the stuff she wrote here is just so...so...unimaginative. Especially the scene when the "exorcism" was performed on Vin, I mean, come on! And then, we aren't even told how Adrian got rid of (temporarily) the demon Devina? Seriously, she was the antagonist, the bad guy, the evil one in the book and we were not shown that scene? We were just told something lame like "don't ask, it takes a lot out of him" (not exact quote, but that's how weakly it's explained).

I don't think the characters of Vin and Marie-Terese (MT) were well done, at least not to the standards that Ward has demonstrated with her previous BDB books. In fact, Marie-Terese (MT)(the beautiful and mysterious prostitute-in-charge from the club Zero Zum in the BDB books) and Vin were poorly developed and to be honest I just didn't find myself truly caring about either one of them or wether or not they ended up together. In the past J.R. Ward has written some of the most scorching love scenes, and they have been a beautiful part of the love story because she has made me really care about the couple and their happiness. However, by the time Vin and MT hooked up and got it on, I skimmed and mostly skipped the sex scenes because I was just not invested emotionally. I found MT's decision to become a prostitute to pay off the debts she incured rather unbelievable. Perhaps a stripper would have been more true to her character, and I'm not just saying that because it would have been more palatable for the readers. In fact, I enjoy romance books with "dark" or "not run of the mill" characters. Witness some of the brothers from the BDB.

The guy stalking Marie-Terese (MT) was a poorly done red herring and just a distraction that added nothing significant to the plot or the characterization. I guess we were supposed to think it was her mofioso abusive ex-husband, but it turned out to be just your run of the mill obsessed psycho stalker/killer.

All in all, this book was a disappointment, but I eagerly await Lover Mine, John Matthew's story and I hope that he and Xhex get a truly wonderful HEA. --ACR

Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of J R Ward. So I was looking forward to the first book in this new series. Im not going to go into what the book is about because others will but I wanted to put down what I thought. I was thinking it was going to be like her first series..BDBH... and it was kinda but not as much as I thought it would be. I do think Phury made an appearance. Being that the BDBH series was so huge I think alot of others will agree that the standards were high for this one and I dont think they will be dissapointed. I liked the plot and the action through out the book. The only thing that, to me, it fell short on was it didnt have enough of the romance that Ward is known for. Yes there are some good senes in the book but nothing like what was in Dark Lover or Lover Awakened. Nothing that will make you sit back and fan yourself. But all in all it was a good start I think. I am looking forward to finding out the back story with Jim. Something I am hoping will come in the following books. I did like the guys on Harleys but again they were not fan worthy. By the end of this book I closed it with a warm heart about Vin and Gretchen, Ward again made me feel connected to them like she has with other characters in her past books. Vin put me in mind of Rev. with the way he was so business savy and single minded untill he saw Gretchen. Im giving this book a 4 star because of the romance but I would recommend it to others.

I was so looking forward to a new book from Ward, and a fallen angel series that I thought would contain the angel from the brotherhood books. I liked that character. This is a bad story, bad plot and egually disappointing characters. Her characters in the brotherhood books are easy to like, and I love the romance. But this one???? There are no discriptions of the characters, there is no likability. I don't really care what happens to them. I am very disappointed. Won't be reading this series I'm sorry to say. Maybe she won't wait too long to do a brotherhood book.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this series. Most of the time I have a hard time getting into another series by the same author because they are usually written differently. This one though is not. It starts out in the same town with some secondary characters from the BDB series which made it very familiar starting out. And well.... Now I'm hooked. Onto the second book!!

I am a huge fan of JR. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood, so I was very excited when I learned of Ward's new series. So far book one has been a big disappointment. The story line in Covet is quite frankly boring and the book is taking me forever to get through. Hopefully the next installment will be better...In the mean time bring on more brothers!!!!

I really wanted to love this book...i drove 50 plus miles to snag it from a walmart...and sadly the book (to me) wasn't worth the drive. much like "lover enshrined and lover ahvenged" this book didn't have the same resonance as earlier novels...the characters didn't pull me into their world....and it really didn't seem to ring true....i'm sure the book will grow on me with a few more readings...i personally love J. R. Ward's way of writing...her word play and unique style but this book fell just a little flat for me....its not on my list of books that i can't live without.

I didn't like it. The dialogue was lame, the characters were flat and the situations were less than probable. In particular, the main character was supposed to be worldly, instead he was naive. The men fell for a cliched female "vamp" with no class who was actually a bit of a monster. I didn't get halfway through it, it was such a disappointment. I didn't like any of the characters. The only one worse from this author is Unforgettable Lady...it was totally forgettable. I still like the Black Dagger Brotherhood series but this book brought some worries with it that the books and characters would become banal, boring and generally bad. Hopefully, it's just a temporary glitch any prolific writer is prone toward.

I regret listening to the full audio book and wished I would have just cut it short. They have so much cussing in the books and drop the F bomb like nobody's business. I'm not a goody goody but phrases like 'Thank F' - that doesn't make any sense to me! Anyway, lame book and crappy story.

Disappointed! (Think Otto from a Fish Called Wanda when he finds that the key to the loot is not in the fishtank, although I wouldn't shoot at poor defenseless fish). As a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood (BDB) books, I was sadly disappointed. I knew this was a new series, so I wasn't expecting a duplicate of her other series, but I was expecting a great romance, which this was not.

First of all, the romance was not the central storyline. This really bothers me: Publishers, market the book honestly and you'll have fewer disappointed readers and more buyers for the next in the series. I would return my copy if I hadn't creased the spine. If this had been marketed with the other supernatural urban legend books (Charlaine Harris, etc.), I would not feel as cheated. **Spoilers ahead, read at your own risk.

The central character was neither the hero nor the heroine, but a "fallen angel" on his "probationary" period, Jim Heron. Although, exactly how he can be a fallen angel, when he was never an angel, but a man, is a mystery to me. However, he was the best drawn character and my favorite, but I'm not sure that's enough to motivate me to purchase the next book in the series. He is charged with saving seven souls, each one has succumbed to one of the seven deadly sins. In fact, our very existance depends upon his success, we are to believe. Vin is his first soul to save. He is helped in this endevour by two other fallen angels, Adrian (mmm, he sounds sexxyy) and Eddie, a stong, silent type. Still, neither one of these two halo-wearers sounds nearly as interesting as Lassiter from Ward's posts and Lover Avenged. Lassiter, yummy and sigh. To be fair, Ward never mentions halos. Also, interestingly enough neither does she ever mention wings, which I think would be erotic, sort of the equivalent of a vampire's fangs.

Also, most of the supernatural elements were pretty cheesy and hoaky (hoakie?), which I found very surprising considering THIS IS A.J. frieking WARD! I mean, the world she created in the BDB books is soooo good, and the stuff she wrote here is just so...so...unimaginative. Especially the scene when the "exorcism" was performed on Vin, I mean, come on! And then, we aren't even told how Adrian got rid of (temporarily) the demon Devina? Seriously, she was the antagonist, the bad guy, the evil one in the book and we were not shown that scene? We were just told something lame like "don't ask, it takes a lot out of him" (not exact quote, but that's how weakly it's explained).

I don't think the characters of Vin and Marie-Terese (MT) were well done, at least not to the standards that Ward has demonstrated with her previous BDB books. In fact, Marie-Terese (MT)(the beautiful and mysterious prostitute-in-charge from the club Zero Zum in the BDB books) and Vin were poorly developed and to be honest I just didn't find myself truly caring about either one of them or wether or not they ended up together. In the past J.R. Ward has written some of the most scorching love scenes, and they have been a beautiful part of the love story because she has made me really care about the couple and their happiness. However, by the time Vin and MT hooked up and got it on, I skimmed and mostly skipped the sex scenes because I was just not invested emotionally. I found MT's decision to become a prostitute to pay off the debts she incured rather unbelievable. Perhaps a stripper would have been more true to her character, and I'm not just saying that because it would have been more palatable for the readers. In fact, I enjoy romance books with "dark" or "not run of the mill" characters. Witness some of the brothers from the BDB.

The guy stalking Marie-Terese (MT) was a poorly done red herring and just a distraction that added nothing significant to the plot or the characterization. I guess we were supposed to think it was her mofioso abusive ex-husband, but it turned out to be just your run of the mill obsessed psycho stalker/killer.

All in all, this book was a disappointment, but I eagerly await Lover Mine, John Matthew's story and I hope that he and Xhex get a truly wonderful HEA. --ACR

I thought this book was pretty good. Its not the BDB good but I enjoyed it. I like that it had some of the same charaters from BDB. I like the Fallen Angle deal and that it was about saving the world. I'm reading the second one now and it is good I recommend any one to read these series I think you will enjoy them as long as you don't try to compare them to the BDB.

I'm a little surpised by the amount of people who disliked this book. I love the Brotherhood series, and even with the few weaknesses in the Phury book, I really enjoyed "Avenged." I thought this book was really well written, the characters well built and the twists done in a slow progression instead of a plot jump with rediculous surprises.

I think this series, despite 'less' romance, will surpass the Brotherhood. I see nothing wrong with focusing on the story a little more and the romance a little less. I'm sold, J.R. Ward is awesome.

This book took me a bit longer to get into than the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, but still very awesome. I think I was about 1/3 of the book when the first confrontation occurred and that's when it kicked off for me. After the first fight, I couldn't put the book down. The beginning of the book is slow and confusing but once I got the gist of it all, I was really into this book and look forward to the next books.