Read and Reviewed

You know that pervading feeling that, once you've read one YA paranormal romance you've read them all? Well, I'm happy to report that The Sweetest Dark is a nice break from your typical paranormal fare. Don't get me wrong, there are still some common tropes used in this book. But overall I found this nicely refreshing, not only because our main character is a different sort of creature from the norm, but also because it's set in the past during World War I, so has a distinctly historical flair as well. All in all there was little to complain about, at least for me, plus two swoon-worthy boys that I very much enjoyed getting to know!Lora, our main character, is an orphan girl from London who's given an opportunity to attend a prestigious finishing school on the coast of England. At the school she catches the eye of two boys (trope number one: love triangles), one a poor workman for the school named Jesse, and the other the son of the Duke who owns the school, Armand. She also gets an immediate enemy in Chloe (trope number two: the mean girl), who fancies herself Armand's significant other, and is extremely jealous of the attention "Mandy" is giving another girl. (Sidenote: I don't dig Armand's nickname at all.) Of course it's determined that Lora is a paranormal creature (she's a drakon), and is drawn to both boys due to her nature and theirs as well. This book very much revolves around Lora's personal journey, as she navigates her new knowledge about herself and what it means for her future.This book reminded me very much of the Gemma Doyle books by Libba Bray. Lora's story is very similar to that of Ann's, and I found myself drawing a lot of comparisons between the two. This book was a bit slow to get started, but once she gets to school and meets the boys it definitely picks up. Without giving too much away, I want to say that the background to what Lora is and the way she's connected to Jesse and Armand both was very interesting to read about, if a little confusing at times. I wish I could go more in depth on my feelings about the revelations into what Jesse, Armand and Lora all are, but I don't want to spoil anyone, so shall refrain. It's safe to say that it's definitely different, though!If you're tired of your same old, same old, you just might want to give The Sweetest Dark a try. It is the first in a series (trope number three: the trilogy), but I found myself engaged enough in not only Lora's story, but both Jesse and Armand's as well that I'm looking forward to what's coming next, especially considering the ending (no worries; there is no cliffhanger). I have to say that I actually find myself leaning more toward the "second" boy in the love triangle this time around, which doesn't often happen. I will be very interested in seeing what comes of that!An e-galley was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.***To see more of my reviews, please visit me @ Read and Reviewed!