Wow. Just wow. In my experience as a reader, second books in a series are usually not as good as or better than the first. It happens every now and then, but it’s rare. I think what happened with The Original Sinners is that The Siren took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting what I got and honestly I might have been in shock by the end of it. By the time I began reading The AngelI was settled in Tiffany’s Reisz’s world (well, as settled as you can get with that bunch). I was completely, totally, 100% blown away. I loved every freaking sentence. I read it in a span of 48 hours. Two days later I picked it back up and read it all over again. Just take all of this as a warning that I will gush like crazy and I might not make myself get around to looking at this book critically.
There’s something about every single character in this world that is undeniably intoxicating. I love all of them, even when I hate them. If I’m being honest, I rarely hate any of them no matter what they do. So, Søren’s a priest who has sex and also happens to be a sadist. That doesn’t bother me in the least. He’s also terrifyingly sexy. I wasn’t sure what to think about him when I finished The Siren, but I’ve made up my mind that I actually like him a lot. Don’t ask me to pick sides though because I adore Wesley and I was hungry for more of him at the end of The Siren. What really got to me was the dynamic between Griffin and Michael. I absolutely love them. I could read about them forever because they’re so freaking sweet.
It was reading The Angel that I found I totally agreed with those calling it a thriller. The investigation that Søren is under is really exciting and allowed me to learn so much about him, and actually a lot about Kingsley and Nora. There was a constant anticipatory feeling that I usually only feel on the rare occasion that I read thrillers. I wasn’t kidding when I said I loved every sentence of this book. Normally, when I’m reading a highly energized scene I have to keep myself from reading ahead and skipping details. There’s just something so engaging about Reisz’s writing that keeps me locked in. I read every single word because I know that even though she’s driving me crazy with the tension that she’ll provide the perfect climax. There’s something to be said about delayed gratification, even in books. I assure you, Ms. Reisz is a master at it, not only in the book itself, but throughout the series. At the end of The Siren I wanted to know more about Søren. I wanted to know more about Wesley. She delivered, but quickly left me with a million questions about Kingsley and even more questions about Søren. It’s safe to assume I’ll be practically bursting at the seams by the time I get my hands on The Prince.
The Angel is a stellar second installment to The Original Sinners series. I was, once again, totally blown away by the character depth and the thrilling turns. This book caused my heart to race and the occasional tear to fall. I highly recommend this to any reader who enjoys their erotic content with a side of suspense.