SHADOWS by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Lux 0.5)

On goodreads

THE BLURB: 

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane. 

Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable. 

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in.

Captivated. Lured. Loved. 

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence...and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

THE AFTERGLOW:

I just put this down with the tranquil feeling of inevitability, fate, and romantic tragedy. This is a prequel novella to the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. It's the first book I've read of hers, recommended by a passionate reader on twitter.

I can see what the hullabaloo is about!

I didn't want to put this novella down. The voice was interesting and active, never a dull moment. The love story was so fated and beautiful... and melodramatic. Right up my alley! I'd say Twilight fans will easily adapt to Armentrout's world of aliens made of light and capable of human love.

My initial impression of SHADOWS wasn't good. There's a split infinitive in the very first line:

"A shadow glided over the frozen hills, moving too quick to likely be cast by something of this Earth."

I had to tell my grammar police to stand down and just enjoy the story. But I was happy to see there were few grammar offenses after that, and the story itself is so tense, fun, exciting, and moving, that I didn't bother bringing the police out again. Afterglow Book Reviews is for books that move us, that make us fall in love and roll with the tragedy and triumph of the characters. SHADOWS did that. I will definitely be reading Book 1, OBSIDIAN to continue with the series.

Have you read Jennifer L. Armentrout? She has quite a collection of novels, including the Lux series and the Covenant series.

*happy sigh*

Always wonderful to discover a new favorite author.