Where There's A Will by Karen Kelley

Title: Where There's A Will
Author: Karen Kelley
Publication Date: September 4, 2012
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Summary (from Goodreads):

 When good girl Haley Tillman is stood up (again), she prays for a dating miracle— and then slams the front door in its face when it appears! Ryder is half angel, half mortal, with powers to do whatever the hell he wants. When he hears Haley’s prayers, he is bound and determined to answer every single one of them.


                     Review
  

I have been sitting here for several minutes having just finished Where There’s A Will, trying to decide how I really feel about it. I read the book in one sitting so that has to count for something. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. I thought there were some really great parts, but there were also parts that I just thought were completely…lacking.

I think the plot is fairly unique – at least to me since I rarely read anything involving angels. But dirty angels who answer prayers to get laid? Yes, please. Ryder had me wanting to get down on my knees and, uh….pray. Well, not pray at all actually, but if that’s what will get a hot cowboy ringing my doorbell I’ll pretend to pray to any God he wants! Loved me some Ryder in his black Stetson.

Haley was one of those characters who I’m sure most women could relate to when it came to her confidence and insecurities with her looks - but the thing that I didn’t like about that was the author made her pretty near perfect. There was no reason for her to feel the way she did. She had the “perfect” body. Yes, I know that even women with the great figure can have hang ups, but it would have made a difference if the author had made Haley have some kind of flaw. Cellulite on her thighs. A pooch. Flabby arms. A toe that was half the size it should have been. Anything to make the character have a “reason” to feel the way she did about herself – besides her family which pissed me off and I hated right from the start. Ugh! I hate interfering, controlling families almost as much as I hate dominating, controlling men. The way she kept putting herself down and repeating the same things over and over again made me want to scream, but yet you can’t help but sympathize with her because you know exactly how she’s feeling.

I think I’m so conflicted about how I feel about this book and what to rate it because it took me a while to really get to a place where I thought the book found its groove, but once it did it took off from there I really enjoyed it. The sex was hot and when reading erotica that’s what I’m looking for. But there was also a great plot line that made the book more than just about getting laid by a hot half human/half angel.

I guess it comes down to the bottom line: it makes me want to read more by the author. When a book does that, even when I’m confused by how to feel about it, you know it’s a winner – maybe not a first place winner, but a winner nonetheless.

.5