I picked this book to read next for a few reasons:1. It is free on amazon. Book + free = instant love for me. I have skads of books on my kindle app that I grabbed on a whim just because they were free. So really the only risk with reading No One's Angel is the time, no money wasted no matter what you think.2. The first excerpt chapters are very very good. In a previous review that finally convinced me to give this book a try, the reviewer told everyone "So, I dare you to click on the cover and read the opening chapter. You're going to have to keep reading, and I think you'll see exactly what I'm talking about." So completely true. The beginning was compelling, fast-paced and had me intrigued right from the get-go. Well done.3. Finally, I chose this book because the idea seemed original. Two people meet through a video game, one falls off the face of the earth and then shows up at the other's doorstep eons later? Add in a dark past and a conflicted present and I was hooked. I've never read a story quite with this premise before. Sure, it plays on a lot of concepts that have been used before, but the backstory is very original (at least compared to other books I have read/seen).My thoughts after having read the book are overall positive. The pace was consistent and none of the scenes dragged on for too long. The back and forth POV was interesting and not extremely bothersome (I in general dislike more than one POV). I think I only noticed a few editing errors/mistakes which were easy to ignore. My main reason for giving this a 3 stars is this: For a self-published novel, it was extremely well written, well edited and well thought out. But the thing is that I could tell it was self-published. It just didn't have that same crispness of words and quality prose that comes from traditionally published books. So while Kelly Walker should be extremely proud of this book she has written, I wouldn't compare it to any NY Bestsellers or anything. It is better than some traditionally published books that I've read though in terms of plot and originality though, so points for that. The book kept my attention and although I did skim, that is not really the fault of the author's and more that I am a skimmer. I would consider reading future books by this author. No One's Angel is about two people finding a connection with one another though they have never met. Angel (Tess) first meets Arion (Axel) in an Internet gaming world. They talk frequently both in and outside of the game but don't take it to another level. This leaves Tess with the sense that she needs to find someone in person, someone real. Unfortunately, she falls in love with a dangerous, abusive man and is forced to cut ties with everyone, including Arion. It takes Angel awhile to be able to leave the relationship and during her flight, she decides to seek Arion out. She thought she had no where else to go and Arion had been important to her despite only knowing him from a distance. Arion, for his part, is thrilled to see Angel. He had very serious feelings for her and was deeply hurt when she cut ties with him. He is ready to fully commit the moment she reenters his life and expand on what they had before. Arion is a bit clingy but the reader doesn't learn why until later in the novel. Sometimes it was a little worrisome given what Angel had already suffered but Arion's behaviors were clearly motivated by love rather than dominance. While he tries to hold on tightly, Angel is trying to come to grips with the abuse she suffered and is scared of being in another relationship. She wants the chance to heal and regain her independence. This push and pull provides for some nice tension within the book.There is some mystery and danger sprinkled throughout the plot and the romance burns brightly. It is easy to be a bit skeptical of how these two can be so connected but Walker gives us enough of their history to make this plausible.
What do You think about No One's Angel (2013)?
I could not put this book down. I loved it.
—Nicole
