This was an interesting read!

I really liked Harley and as far as as main characters go, she's a solid one. Coming from an abusive home and being thrown into the world of demons, Harley is strong-willed and determined to protect those she loves. I really admired her strength and the lengths she goes to for her sister was really heart warming. The other characters were just as interesting, I really enjoyed reading about Ray and Nathan, as well as Draven and Kai.

My biggest issue with this book was the world building, or lack there of. I understood parts of it but I feel like very little time was spent developing the world and the powers, and honestly I'm still not sure how the plot was resolved. This story definitely could have benefited from being a little longer, with maybe more time on the world building, especially with how it relates to the main character and her conflicts.

Mixed feelings. I loved the concept, but not the execution. The world was interesting and the characters were interesting. But Harley drove me nuts. One minute she’s tough and take no shit, the next she’s whining about her dirty blood and how no one loves her. I wanted less inside her head and more action and dialogue. And ray really bothered me. I know she had to grow up quickly but she acted like a mini adult in both speech and action. Totally pulled me out of the story every time.

Harley is an abused young woman trying to save her little sister from the same fate. So when she meets Draven she's instantly intrigued by him and his ability to connect with her sister. But then Harley gains powers as soon as she turns eighteen and her life gets even more hectic.

This was a very interesting book that hooked my attention right away. Harley is an amazingly strong young woman who isn't afraid to stand up for others. But she has deeply rooted fears and no self worth that causes her to have a hard time trusting people. Draven is that sexy man that gives off Bad Boy energy but is actually just someone that wants love and to know he's doing the right thing.

I loved the demons that we see. They are all so unique and rather terrifying. The information readers get is not overwhelming and flowed well. Even though I felt the ending was a bit unoriginal, especially with the plot we'd had, I am still super excited to continue this series!

An intense read but interesting read. Ember of Night is about Harley, a recent high school grad and deli worker. Harley doesn't have it easy. She comes from an abusive home but loves her sister and is trying to build a better life for them both. Things however get completely derailed when Harley turns 18 and all sorts of monsters try to kill her. This book has a little bit of everything hidden powers, love triangle, urban fantasy, YA/New adult  Definitely might be too disturbing for some. There's trigger warnings in the front for good reason and two plot points semi unrelated to those warnings were super unsettling. That said yes I will absolutely read the sequel if one is published.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ok I will start my review by saying I love the cover with its gorgeous colours but honestly I wasn't quite sure what to expect. We meet Harper, seventeen years old and determined to get a flat so she can get custody of her younger sister Ray. Abused by her alcoholic father Harper works hard at a local diner to earn enough money to start a much safer life. Her best friend Kai always has her back and he encourages her to live a little but when she meets the mysterious but absolutely gorgeous Draven they share a connection that Harper cannot explain. Ok so far apart from the evil parent this seems ordinary but nothing is what it seems. Harper is attacked by what she thinks are homeless people which means secrets that have been kept from her start coming to light. This downtrodden, ordinary girl just might be something extraordinary but exactly what is she ?
Eek I did get Twilight vibes initially because yes Draven is definitely no ordinary boy and then you add Kai the friend who says he had hoped to become more than friends. Add in that Draven is without a doubt a tortured soul and you can imagine more than a few eye rolls from me. Yet I kept reading even when Harper repeatedly said "I'm not afraid of you " which definitely echoed a certain seventeen years old named Bella ! Why ? I was intrigued and wanted answers. This does go in a very different direction to the aforementioned story and although I'd worked something out there were still shocks and surprises to be had. This is aimed at YA readers which I'm certainly not part of but I found this interesting and ended up wanting the characters to have a happy ending. In some ways I got what I wanted but Harper's story is definitely not over as the author saved her biggest surprise for the very last page !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I enjoyed this book, but I have some thoughts.

I think my best comparison would be to say it’s thematically like Daughter of Smoke and Bone meets Crave, but the writing isn't quite DOSAB. It’s a wild read full of twists, romance, sister-love, and action, but there are also some really dark themes as well. In some parts it was so hard to read because you really realllly dislike the dad and you feel SO bad for Harley that the violence seems...over the top. But, in all, I'd say the arc of her coming into her own 'power' is done nicely.
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Personally, I think the blurb doesn’t really do the book justice. It almost turned me off to reading this but as I got into the story it seemed to make a lot more sense.
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I’d say overall the book is more themes of...the power of overcoming your past, the beauty of finding strength in who you are, learning to depend on friends, and fighting for what you know is right. ⁣

But, there is way more “adult” type stuff in this book. I’m personally not a fan of that in what’s classified as a YA book, so if you are sensitive to that’d please be aware! Plus the trigger warnings about abuse are no joke. I think that part fit with the story and is explained, but still it's hard to read.

Lastly, and again this is my personal view - I really dislike the idea of trying to make demons "good". Like, there is more than that going on here, and there are certainly demons in this book that are definitely bad, but it just doesn't sit well with me. And, what happens in the epilogue (which I won't state here) kind of made me not look forward to the next book. It's likely due to my own personal, religious beliefs, but it's almost pushing my imagination too far to think of what Harley becomes.
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My recomendation: I think this will appeal to fans of the Crave series for sure, but also those who like a paranormal romance with action. In some ways reads more like NA than YA. ⁣
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‼️For clean readers: There is quite a bit of language in this books as well as detailed kissing (and one adult type) scene and abuse mentioned/detailed (as part of the plot). ⁣Definitely 18+ IMO.

My rating: 3.5-4*

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I am utterly obsessed with this book.

Harley has had a terrible upbringing. Seriously it's pretty dark. (TW for parental abuse) She has been beaten down and made to feel like she is completely alone by the one person who should love her unconditionally.. but Harley has a little sister who gives her hope. She is doing everything in her power to break free and be able to make things safe for her sister. Everything is going according to plan until she is attacked on her 18th birthday and she realizes the world may be even darker than she thought.

I loved Harley so much. She could have used her father as an excuse to be a horrible person but instead she let it make her stronger. She thinks she is completely alone but she has a close group of people who have her back completely. I liked that she was a perfect mix of strong and vulnerable.

And then we have Draven.. who seems to fit Harley perfectly. They are both a bit dark but they still have a kindness about them. Draven was a fantastic hero for this story. I think the two characters played off each other very well and their banter was so funny!

I need the next one like right now! I guess I will have to be satisfied with trying some of the authors contemporary books.

2/5 stars ⭐️⭐️
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Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for giving me a copy of this book! This is my honest review, all views are my own.
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Ember of Night is... Hm. Okay. It’s... it’s a wild ride, to say the least. Was I entertained by the plot? Yes. Did it feel a bit awkward and #girlboss-y? Also yes.
This is a great book for when you’re absolutely obsessed with all things supernatural—in this case, demons, but who knows what else lurks behind the veil? I was definitely swept up in the plot (even if the beginning was slow to start and the climax was a little too fast for my liking). The writing style was a bit awkward and felt like it was trying too hard to sound like a teenager... which is extremely jarring. Once you get used to it, though, the book is quite easy to read. The chapters are relatively short, so it’s easy to speed through and finish! As for the characters? I have so many gripes, I’m going to rant a bit here. I feel like every other page Harley talked about how she was weak and broken and didn’t deserve anything but pain and misery, yet she was also portrayed as super tough and feisty. It felt a little forced to me when it was constantly shoved in the reader’s face. We also got a big question mark in regards to Harley’s supernatural identity, and it never feels fully explained until the very end. And somehow, even though she’s put through a hurricane of new information, Harley immediately accepts her new reality and powers? There was a lot of stretching of the imagination for me, and it only continued with Draven, the love interest. What is he, even? We’re first introduced to him from his point of view, and it’s really unclear his role in the grand scheme of things until it is literally spelt out for the reader. He toes the line between being the demon knowledge base for Harley and being absolutely bamboozled and clueless, so it was hard to ground myself in the demon world. There were too few breadcrumbs for me to pick up on... or maybe I just didn’t read thoroughly enough. Speaking of breadcrumbs: the villain plot twist I saw coming from a mile away. No spoilers, but I very easily picked up on the sleights of hand and misdirection, and it was a little obvious and thus boring to me (though I did appreciate the villain monologue at the climax!). The only bright spot for me was the Ray of sunshine—a name that’s a little too on-the-nose. She is a very enthusiastic and sweet kid, and I want more information and focus on her in the next book.
Ranting aside, I thought this was a unique spin on the traditional supernatural Chosen One trope with a strong focus on the romance, and I enjoyed it well enough; however, it simply fell flat in too many areas to rate it three stars. If I were feeling generous, this could maybe stretch to 2.5 stars, but I already did too much stretching while reading this book. I’m tired.

4.5/5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Teen for providing me with the review copy.

One of the things that I wanted to mention about this book is that it comes with a specified trigger warning which is one of the things I loved about it.

Secondly, I loved the plot, it was just so great. I was able to pretty much guess about the plot twist( I have to admit that it was so very clear that the author had been not so subtly hinting throughout the book) but that cliffhanger!!!? I could not have seen that coming in a million year, I think it was a really great way to wrap this book and keeping the readers guessing.

I totally loved the relationship between Draven(notice how hot that name is-its right up the alley of dark brooding heroes who have gone through a lot) and Harley. They are just so cute together and I lived for their angsty interactions in the beginning which ehm...evolve into what we all can imagine.

AND can we please talk about Nathan and Ray? Those two are hands down my other fav characters from this book (granted it feels like they were the only other characters). I dunno I still have my suspicions about Nathan(I am not gonna be falling over backwards for him after he did that one thing) but I also think he's gonna be a very decent character(since I have a dark personality I always assume the worst of others).

Coming to Ray, is it just me or did others also felt like she sounded way more mature than her age? I so much want the mystery behind her parentage to be dissolved in the next book!

The character development was kind of to the point, we saw Natan owning up to what he should have had done ages ago(or something similar). I also liked the way Harley's powers evolved through the book.

One of the other things I liked about it was the discussion that the author had opened up regarding abuse and its impact on one's mental health and the doubts that seem to creep up in the survivor's mind.

*Thank you to Entangled Teen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Ember of Night was a great first book that had a lot of world building, and definitely lived up to the hype.

The characters in this story were super unique and fun to read about. Harley is very relatable in that her life isn’t perfect. She cares very much about her sister and friends. Her family is a found one, but it’s the most important thing in the world.

Draven is dark mysterious and amazing. I wasn’t sold on him in the start, but I definitely was by the end.

Ray is perfect. I love her. The entire host of side characters are enjoyable, weaving in and out of the story and only making the main characters better.

As for the action, the story did start a little slow, but as may first books do, it served to build the world and the fantasy lore. It did pick up pretty fast, though, and sucked me right into the world of demons and magic and darkness, and just enough romance and friendship. The story was action packed and dynamic and once I was hooked, I was itching for the next page, chapter, next THING.

The way the book ended? WOW. I very much didn’t see that coming and I am excited for the next book. This book was a fantastic and engaging debut and I can’t wait for the rest of the series.

This is a story about things that are damaged but beautiful.

I was unsure initially but once this book sucked me in, I loved it. It’s all at once dark, twisted & magical- all the best things. The lore was original & I loved the protagonist. I’m now anxiously awaiting book 2!

Thanks to Netgalley & Entangled Teen for this e-Arc!

Harley is a super tough girl who you want to cheer on along with wanting to give her a space she can be a teen. Ray is the sweetest little girl every with boat loads of talent. Draven is more than he appears and the sparks between him and Harley are amazing.

This book is a wonderful read. I love all the action and I hated Harley's dad so much. He is a person you just hope gets what he deserves. The sparks between Harley and Draven have you wanting more and more. They both have problems and try to help each. The plot is a good one and the ending will have you wanting the next book now.

This book was fantastic, the world-building, the characters, all the action scenes, and romance. Harley and Draven are amazing, their banter was very entertaining. I might suggest some editing, but since I got an arc, those might get fixed after it's released, so I'm overlooking that on this review as I always do with arcs. I liked the storyline, the balance between suspense, romance, and angst, even though I have read some storylines that seem alike, but it has some new elements. Definitely recommend it to anyone that enjoys YA urban fantasy books. I'll be looking forward to reading more.

Wow, what a wonderful beginning to what will hopefully become a series.

17 year old Harley is a week from her 18th birthday, when she will move out and take her sister away from their abusive father. However there's a newcomer in town and everything is about to change.

The story is wonderful, the world building as well.

I do think the main character suffered from what I call "Bella Swan Syndrome" in which everyone inexplicably loves her. With the exception of the father and the "big bad", everyone is helpful and generous just because the main character exists.

Events were foreshadowed in a way that didn't take away from reading the story. I shipped the characters from the beginning. I cried actual tears at some parts.

Overall a great story, that I read in less than a day.

*Thank you to the publisher for this eARC.

Y’all I loveeeeed this book so much! I loved Harley and Rays relationship, but Draven UGH I cannot. He must be protected at all costs! I loved the world building and magic system Molly created and can’t wait for book 2!

So I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to Entangled Teen and NetGalley. This book was absolutely amazing! This book has everything! Angels, Demons, a badass main character, a hot love interest, and of course a huge twist towards the end. I could not get enough of this book! Harley, Ray, and Draven have quickly become some of my favorite characters and I loved being immersed in their crazy world. The ending shook me to my core, I was honestly not expecting it and now I can’t wait until the sequel. If you’re looking for a sign to read this book well here it is! Molly Lee is such a great storyteller and I cannot wait to see where she takes this series!

This book follows Harley who has been abused by her father for years, protecting her little sister the only goal she has is to get them into a new safe apartment. But then Draven comes into her life, and he thinks she might be the key to hell...

This YA paranormal romance has its ups and downs. I thought it was hilarious at times because it reminded me so much of Twilight at times. XD There were some elements I enjoyed, like Ray and Nathan. Other elements were so boring and repeatable, and Draven reminded me of Edward Cullen too much LOL. I still found the beginning pretty solid, and I was invested enough in the story! More elaborate thoughts in my video. 3/5 stars.

This isn’t the typical genre I read, but I thought I would give it a try since I have enjoyed this author’s other books. The plot was well thought out and had plenty of twists and turns to keep me interested. Draven and Harley were perfect for each other and their banter was great.

Harley had a bad upbringing, always being pushed down and mistreated. Her one ray of sunshine is her younger sister and she is doing everything she can to get them out of their current situation. Unfortunately, she realizes the world is darker than she realized when she is attacked on her eighteenth birthday. Through it all, she shows how strong she is and that she has more people behind her than she thought.

Draven is a good hero, if not a little dark. He did have her back and proved he could be trusted. But there were times that it was hard to tell if he was being honest or lying. The ending was unexpected and I can’t wait for the next book.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

I was given an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for a Twilight reminiscent story to cure your Midnight Sun hangover, then this book is for you.

First off, the triggers warnings in the beginning of the book are REAL. Pay attention to them, listen to them, and do not read this book if any of the topics mentioned are harmful to you. Take care of yourself and stay safe!!
The topics mentioned were handled very well in the story and added to it nicely. The way they are handled was one point in the book's favor.

To be fair to this book, teenage me would have loved it. At has a lot of the themes and tropes and clichés that I LOVED as a teenager. Twenty-something me? Not so much.

Here's what it does have:
A twilight-esque atmosphere. A love triangle between an immortal being, a teen girl, and her childhood best friend. The immortal being is tortured and "dangerous" for girl. He warns her away just like Edward warns Bella. Best friend warns girl away from immortal being. Girl doesn't listen because her attraction is just so strong.
A powerful immortal being whose power is dangerous to all and a ~special~ teen girl who is mysteriously immune to his power.
It has a pet name to rival the ever so cringy "spider monkey."
A clumsy protagonist who can't walk without feat of hurting herself just like dear Bella.

While this book was not my preferred style anymore, I know a lot of people still enjoy all of these tropes and will enjoy this book!

On to my opinions:
I love angel vs. Demon stories (Daughter of Smoke and Bone anyone??) So I was excited to give this a try. I was hoping for more of DoSaB story and got a Twilight rip off instead. (Again, I know people still enjoy Twilight style books, I personally don't, don't attack me over this.)
A cheap love triangle with little development, a naive teen girl and a dangerous immortal who puts the responsibility of staying away from each other on the teen? Um, no. No no no. I HATE this power dynamic. If this were real and the immortal were say, a 40 year old man, every one would be disgusted. It is so, SO toxic. Harley is a victim of years of abuse. She needs a therapist. Not a dangerous immortal who "cares for her" but not enough to do the smart thing and stay away.
It is not the age gap that bothers me. I love ACOTAR and TOG and other books with immortal relationships. What gets under my skin about Draven and Harley's relationship is that Draven believes he dangerous for Harley and tells her to stay away from him instead of doing the mature, adult thing and creating the distance himself. He is older, he is powerful, he is the one who holds the upper hand in their power dynamic. The responsibility is on HIM to keep HIS distance, not on the naïve, victimized teen girl who is finally learning to break free and take control of her life. Harley should not feel bad for him and all of his years of a tortured past. Do I think he genuinely cares for her? Yes. But that doesn't make the relationship any less disgusting or toxic in my mind.
Day one of being 18 is not different from the last day of being 17. There is no maturity difference between one day and the next. 18 is not a magic number. Harley is child with a skewed reality thanks to her father.
My other issue with the book, and Draven, is the withholding of knowledge from Harley. HER life is on the line. Not Draven's. Hers. He knows information that could help her and he withholds it further shifting their power imbalance. She asks questions, she wants to know about her new reality. She does not want to be ignorant. He purposely keeps things from her. Maybe he does it because he cares for her and wants to protect her, I don't know. I do know that if he did want to protect her then teaching her and arming her with knowledge would have been the best protection.

The writing in this book was okay, I was drawn in for the first half, the story was building well and I enjoyed the characters. But then halfway through the plot just died for me. The toxic relationship kicked up, Harley became incessantly irritating, and Draven became irredeemable. "Honey badger" as a nickname??? Seriously?? I gagged every time Driven called Harley "honey badger." I understand the sentiment behind the name but honestly. There wasn't anything better to use? Harley's lack of knowledge and resulting stupidity were infuriating. I feel that Harley was an intelligent character, but her not being told anything about her world made her stupid and reckless. She thought she was doing the right things, and with the information she had, honestly she was. But if she had been taught about demons she would have been smarter and less reckless. She has the ability to plot and plan and strategize but she was told nothing so she acted first without thinking. She is very noble and had a lot of potential but her lack of information ruined her. Draven's character is to blame for that.
I was honestly rooting for the villain by the end.

If you're wondering why I even read this book based on my review, I read it because it sounded good and it did have potential and by the time I started hating it I was already invested and had to know they ending. I love angel and demon books and there haven't been many of them lately but unfortunately this one did not meet my hopes.

At first, I struggled to read this quite a bit. Not because it's badly written, but because it is more violent than I anticipated. In fairness, there is a trigger warning at the beginning of the novel for issues of "emotional and physical abuse, violence and gore, suicidal thoughts, and some sexual context." I also felt that some of those issues could have been handled more maturely, but that is simply my personal opinion as a teacher who's protective of my students.

Well, that takes care of the negatives. Now, onto the positive!

The character development (especially of Harley) was perfection. The chemistry between her and Draven was excellent, and I appreciated that Harley's sister, Ray, was a fully-developed character rather than the plot device that I expected her to be. The world-building was also well done without long pages full of nothing but exposition, and those fight scenes were everything I could hope for.