White Hot Kiss by Jennifer Armentrout

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Jennifer never fails to amaze me with her ability to create an intricate world of supernaturally gifted creatures. This book was no different; Wardens, Demons, and Alphas (the Seraphim) dominate this story. The plot line was wonderful, a quest that ends with Layla finding herself in a world that refuses to accept her. She is half demon, and half warden. These natural enemies both fear that she is more one race than the other, refusing to trust her because of her bloodline. For her entire life, she has been told that she's not good enough, and she believes it. But then she meets Roth, a high level demon of hell. He doesn't judge her, or make her fear what she really is. She is terrified of him at first. Raised by Wardens, they have constantly told her that demons are all evil. But Roth is there to protect her. When her life is on the line, it is he who saves her countless times. The trust between them builds, as does the attraction that she feels for him.

This is a wonderful story of a girl, believing her entire life that she is worthless, finally breaking free from her shell and finding herself. I instantly connected with Layla, and secretly rooted for her the entire way through the story. Roth is my favorite character by far, with Jennifer's ability to write humor into a dramatic story, I often found myself laughing out loud at Roth and his sarcasm. Zayne is a character that I am torn about. Layla obviously has a deep connection with him, but I wasn't feeling it as much as her connection with Roth. Of course, I have a feeling this series will continue with a dramatic love triangle between the three characters. I'm team Roth all the way. Sure, he is the Prince of Hell, a high level demon with amazing power, but there's just something about him that makes me smile. I truly admire Jennifer's ability to write the most impractical, hard headed, stubborn and irritating, yet perfect men. Sigh. I can't honestly say that I didn't cry Mrs. Armentrout.. but it was worth it! This story is definitely worth the read, and I honestly cannot wait until the next installment in The Dark Elements series!

Release date for Stone Cold Touch - The Dark Elements #2
October 28, 2014

“I lost myself the moment I found you.” -Roth

“You almost got plowed by a cab. And if you want to get plowed, I will gladly volunteer my services. I promise you I’ll be a lot—”
“Don’t even finish that sentence.”
“It was just an offer." -Roth and Layla

Connect with Jennifer Armentrout: JenniferArmentrout.com; Goodreads; Twitter; Amazon; Barnes & Noble.

Tags: Jennifer Armentrout, paranormal book reviews, urban fantasy.