With fallen angels and Nephilim fighters
Has anyone the right to feel righteous?
Forbidden relationships, a traitor, too,
And what is special about someone new?

This is a well written, engaging and page turning read,
In which Lily faces fighting her feelings to succeed.
Working for the Sanctuary she already knows
She needs to ensure her forbidden attraction for Justin never grows.

However, fate has other plans for this pair,
Helping each other, starting to care.
When evidence makes Lily rethink what she uncovers
Can she convince her friends and others?

If you enjoy paranormal mysteries and forbidden romance,
I highly recommend you give this fantastic book a chance!
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

This is the second book JLA ever wrote and it definitely shows.

Not terrible by any means, just not as good as what I'm used to when it comes to her books. There really isn't any strong development - it actually feels like this is the second book in a series because the world-building is so basic, the characters are pretty one dimensional so it's hard to believe any of the romance, and the dialogue is awkward and cringey at times.

But hey, I guess all authors have to start somewhere, right?

And, for what it's worth, I was entertained overall.

this was meh, read very juvenile and i didn't feel connected to the characters or what happens to them at all. i can see other reader enjoying this a lot tho!

— thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the free digital ARC.

❤️❤️ out of 5
This book really surprised me seeing as I am absolutely OBSESSED with the From Blood and Ash series by the same author. However, this book was in a totally different hemisphere of her writing as I believe it is one of her earlier books. This book just didn’t gel as much as her other books and there were a lot of loose ends that never got tied up.

The hero and heroine didn’t spend much time together at all and without the hero’s POV I genuinely didn’t know why these two were together. Their relationship never really seemed to develop and I thought for most of the book the hero was actually going to turn bad….. and not in a redeemable way.

I liked the paranormal premise with demon hunters and fallen angels and the world building was definitely leading somewhere but unfortunately this book just didn’t deliver for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read Unchained by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout). Even though this was published in 2013, I requested it because the book was about angels/nephilim and had a kick ass heroine. It was touted as the first book in a series, and you can tell the author was leaning towards that way, but it ended up a standalone. The author has been on my TBR list for years, and I wanted to check out her early work. It was a quick read, the characters had chemistry and I enjoyed it, but was disappointed the series never continued. Will continue to read this author's books.

Although this was an older title I really enjoyed it. Sort of like a spicy ShadowHunters, our MC is torn between her duty and the growing attraction she has for the enemy. Lots of action, mythology and betrayal peppered with a forbidden romance. A really enjoyable read.

Unchained was a unique take on fallen angels and angel/human hybrids. I love when I can find an original storyline that I haven't read before. It grabs you right from the start and made for a fast read. I loved Lily's character. She's a strong female character and can kick butt. Julian is the ultimate anti-hero and I loved how much he was obsessed with Lily. They were a couple that shouldn't have been together but a couple you want to see together. Great read!

UNCHAINED: NEPHILIM RISING

Release Date: 09/17/13
Kindle Unlimited: [ ]YES [X]NO
Stand-alone: [X]YES [ ]NO
Author: J. Lynn
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spiciness rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
POV: Multiple, third person
Main Characters: Lily & Julian
Genre: Fantasy romance
Tropes: supernatural beings (Nephilims, fallen angels, and others); forbidden romance; mystery; antihero

Review:

Lily and Julian belonged to races that were natural enemies, but fighting their pull it’s proving to be very difficult, even more to fight against each other. Even though they are the main couple, the story has lots of important characters and the book brings several POV, many but Julian’s and it bothered me because he was by far my favorite character here.

Besides Julian, the mystery of who was betraying the Sanctuary was betraying the Sanctuary was what kept me going here since I didn’t like the FMC at all. I didn’t even understand why everyone liked and were protective of her. The ending actually surprised me because I wasn’t expecting the bad guy to be that person.


*** I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book I got from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ***

An entertaining and well plotted paranormal romance. A stand alone written by Jennifer Armentrout using a pseudonym it's a good book that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Demon hunter Lily is trained to distrust fallen angels...
But will she be able to resist temptation in the form of sexy, not-so-angelic Julian? I must admit this book took me a couple of chapters before I got used to the third person because it took a bit longer to connect with the characters. But it is an JLA book so, of course, I fell and I fell hard, head-over-heels in love with this book and I so wish it wasn't a standalone as I want more of this sexy couple! Overall, a really fabulous and exciting read with an off-the-charts chemistry and so much steam. Full of Nephilim, fallen angels, monsters, evil, mystery, traitors and romance. Perfect for readers of paranormal romance.

I wasn't sure about this one at first because on retail sights it's listed as a first in series that never continued. However it is a stand alone story. The world building is interesting. The characters are intriguing. The romance is sexy. The mystery reveal left me shocked. All in all its a really great read.

I received this book for free for an honest review.

Sexy read. Great for staying up all night reading. Very exciting.

Review of Unchained by J.Lynn
* * * * *
A fantastic paranormal/supernatural urban romance, action packed and thriving with characters, chemistry and danger in a creative world.

Lily is our classic female protagonist whom we love. Strong, badass, snarky and of course bound to attract some trouble and drama. Due to her nature, she is bound to be saving the world from the distruction of others in the supernatural world...including fallen angels. However, things take a massive turn when she is put in danger from not only her enemies, but also the people she works with and lives with. She is suspected of betrayal and now is spiralling into a setting of chaos.
Not to forget the delicious fallen angel Julian who just cannot help himself around her.
Yeah, this girl is in trouble...wink, wink.

I really enjoy this author's books and was happy to dive into this read. I just honestly didn't expect it to be so steamy. A part of me thought it would be more PG13 for some reason, not that I am complaining! I mean, the first kiss scene...wowzers. Straight off the bat! I mean, sure, he's kind of stalkery and can kind of tick a girl off when she just wants her own company...but with what he does for Lily...I'm not in anyway put off. The naughty relationship with Julian, yeah, bound to stir up the pot of trouble.
Plus, I am all for an age gap romance.
It was actually very heavy on the sex-capades, which I also found suprising.
Again, not complaining. Just observing.
Then there is the situation with poor Michael, the poor sod. Everything is fine and dandy and normal then...nope! However, dude, good on you for taking on a whole new world and being boss.
A part of me felt a prequel or a little something extra could have been added to this standalone, but that is just my opinion. Loved the mystery of th betrayal and the story of Anna, and the whole conflict on why the Fallen cannot be trusted...yet the romance that blossoms is just so good!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Demon Hunters fallen angel, what more can I say..

Enchanting, action packed and full of intrigue, Unchained is a fabulous read.

With great characters, a fast paced and engaging plotline and all the sass and steam, this book was a delight.
I loved Lily. She's sassy and strong, but also sweet and a little naïve, her passion and loyalty are a testament to her heart. Broody and protective, with eyes only for her, Julian is her perfect counterpart.
Add in some drama, secrets, steam and twists, and this is one book that has me looking forward to a sequel.

4 stars and a fallen angel

I devoured this book from beginning to end and enjoyed every page of it. I honestly wasn't ready for it to end the way it did because the ending felt a bit rushed especially after finding out a betrayal regarding Luke, a life changing secret kept between both Julian and Nathaniel and a huge revelation regarding Michael and his parents. I wish there was a second book or that this book had an epilogue because everything came to light and was revealed but I needed more. I especially needed a glimpse into Lily and Julian's future to see how and if the Sanctuary finally accepted their relationship. Would they hold Lily to her contract and abandon her? They were so set against them being together and we didn't get anything in the end about them and how things would play out with the Sanctuary. With that being said, the chemistry between Lily and Julian was off the charts from beginning to end and I absolutely loved it. I loved every moment they spent together in this story no matter how forbidden it was, there was no denying that they were meant to be together. This story had action, steamy, betrayal, suspense, romance, surprises, mystery and more. I loved it, but I rated it 4 stars because the ending felt rushed, and I wished there was more. I needed more, an epilogue or another book, just more.

Fallen angels, nephilim, politics betrayal and suspense all revolve around a star-crossed love between the misunderstood hunted and the naive hunter. Truths emerge, lies uncovered, and yes there is a HEA waiting. A winner!

Unchained by J. Lynn is a thrilling paranormal romance that follows demon-hunter Lily Marks as she navigates a dangerous world filled with pissed off creatures who want her dead and a fallen angel who just can't seem to stay away from her. Despite being civil to each other, Lily's relationship with Julian, the fallen angel, threatens to get her thrown out of the Sanctuary. When a traitor is discovered to be working within the Sanctuary, Lily becomes hunted by everyone, and her only hope is to find the real traitor before she loses everything. The novel is filled with action, suspense, and steamy romance that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is fast-paced and engaging. Overall, Unchained is a must-read for fans of paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

This well written book with great characters that are well developed and engaging and the storyline flows smoothly from beginning to the end.

This wasn't quite my cup of tea. I've read some of the authors later books and you can definitely feel that this is at her earlier stage in her writing career.