Release Date: October 19, 2010
Genre: Romance, Supernatural/Angels
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
Pages: 432
Series: Hush, Hush #2
Rating:
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Summary: 

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away, and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch, or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Review: Before you read this review, make sure you have some general idea about how I feel by reading my rant.

I enjoyed Crescendo. I have MAD love for Becca Fitzpatrick for many reasons. She’s right up there with Kiersten White.

HOWEVER, Crescendo bothered me a little. In Hush, Hush there is PLENTY of romance. I would categorize it as a romance novel with a paranormal sub-genre (did you read the rant?). And it does a pretty good job of balancing the two. Even though I didn’t like Nora’s relationship with Patch, I was able to enjoy the freaky paranormal aspects enough that I ended up really liking the book.

Not so much with this one. This book suffers from what I call the “sequel-phase” of a romance. I discussed this with my friend Debbie for some time, and she was of the mind that this phase is unavoidable. I’m starting to agree with her.

The sequel-phase is where our happy couple (who fought to be a couple in the first book) begin to drift apart. Whether from misunderstanding, change of interests, homicidal angels/werewolves/vampires, or all of the above, it doesn’t matter. The point is, our couple breaks up.

Now this can be okay. IF that’s not the only plot point in the story.

Crescendo had other plot points, but they were SO dependent on Nora and Patch no longer being together, that they fell flat for me. I WANTED to know more about those things, but all I was being given was “Patch this. Nora that. Get back at Patch this way. Nora feeling sorry for what’s she’s done but not DOING anything about it!”

This book is still getting the same rating as Hush, Hush though because I ADORE Becca’s writing style. She could write about cow-pies and I would still be interested. I might not LOVE it, but I would definitely read it.

Oh dear. I guess now I should clarify that this book is MUCH better than cow-pies. Bad example.