I did not finished this book unfortunately.
Thank you for this opportunity.
I hope others loved this book.

What a fabulous story. Loved reading every moment. Characters were phenomenal. I think Zavier is my newest hero and Liss was just as incredible.

Verdict: Confusing start, strong concept, but not the best entry point.

This book had potential - angels, demons, forbidden romance, and the literal end of the world - (what's not to love) but unfortunately, it just didn’t land for me.

Despite the publisher’s note that it can be read as a standalone, I strongly disagree. As someone who often jumps into series mid-way with no problem, I found this one especially hard to follow. The first several chapters are overloaded with information dumps and vague references to past events that left me scrambling to keep up. If you haven’t read the previous books, you may find yourself just as lost.

The romance also felt rushed and unearned. By the 5% mark, both characters were already ogling each other, her over him wielding daggers, him over her looks. It felt more like instant lust than any real chemistry or development.

And while I love a good paranormal romance, I couldn’t shake the strong resemblance to other popular series (ACOTAR came to mind more than once), especially with the whole “grumpy bat-boy energy,” found family of supernatural hotties, and the “you’re more powerful than you think” heroine trope.

That said, the banter was entertaining at times, and I can see how the fast pacing and chaotic energy might appeal to fans of urban fantasy with lots of sass and stakes. But the tone occasionally veered into unserious territory that clashed with the world-ending premise, and the modern pop culture references kept pulling me out of the story.

In short: this might work better if you’ve read the earlier books and are already invested in the characters. For me, the lack of emotional depth, overwhelming world-building, and rushed romance made it a miss... though I may give it another shot when I’m more in the mood for something fast, fun, and dramatic.

Cute, quick, and had its moments—but it didn’t totally blow me away. I loved the premise (fallen angel with a to-do list? yes pls), but the pacing felt a little uneven and the romance didn’t fully spark for me. Still, it was a fun, easy read if you’re in the mood for something light and slightly magical

Love this spin on the fantasy angel/“human” love story - definitely did not see these plot developments coming. Makes me want to read the first two in the series!

I wish I had realized this was book three of a series. You're meant to be able to read them as standalones, but I did feel like I was missing some important context even though I enjoyed the world the author has built. This was too instalove for me, and I wish the love story had taken a bit more time. That's probably a personal preference, but still felt like it happened too quickly.

Not Always an Angel is lighthearted, paranormal urban fantasy following Liss, a mortal woman whose attempts to live a normal life are utterly thwarted by, well, demons. Enter Zavier, the fierce and brooding Nephilim warrior forced to protect her for the sake of his friends (and not because he likes her or anything… no, definitely not…)

The main characters have excellent chemistry, and it was impossible not to fall for their entertaining banter and steamy chemistry! I’m a sucker for a dramatic plot, and Not Always an Angel delivered—though I do wish we’d gotten a bit more story development and slow burn.

This is technically the third book in the series, and while it can technically be read as a standalone, I do think picking up the first two books before this one would have enhanced my reading experience!

Thank you to Entangled for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Liss (human/mortal) and Zavier (Nephilim-part angel part human) have become friends by their mutual associations. Snarky Liss tries to help broody Zavier save the world with the help of their friends. Along the way they also find they like each other more than just friends. This is the 3rd book in the series and marketed as a can be read as a standalone but did find myself thinking I may be missing something and made it a bit hard to get into. As I read the book things became clearer as the storyline progressed. I ended up really enjoying it. Made me want to read the other books in the series. Thank you to Entangled and NetGalley for the ARC which I voluntarily read and these opinions are my own.

whole classified as a standalone, i was actually pretty lost reading this book. i recommend reading the first 2 books in this series.

but the characters were funny and while sometimes i was lost, other times i did get lost in the plot, characters, and overall vibe of the book.

I have never read anything by this author, but I will be looking out for other books they write in the future. I really enjoyed the story as well as the pacing of the story.

Reading this book was a slightly strange experience. The characters were written kind of weirdly because the guy would be possessive of the woman one minute then pushing her away the next. I know it was explained in the book but I think that the hot and cold got to be a little bit much. Also the guy kept saying “my woman” or “our women”. It was weird and his mindset was extremely old which was explained but the explanation didn’t make sense because people can change as they interact with the world. I think the worst part of this book was that the big battle was completed partially of page and what was on page was only like 20 pages. It just didn’t meet the buildup. I think that I’m just not the demographic for this book. The writing was okay, I just didn’t love some of the plot points.

"Not Always An Angel" by Christi Barth is an exhilarating ride into the realm of paranormal romance that deserves a resounding 5 stars! Barth masterfully crafts a world that sizzles with steamy romance, riveting action, and delightful humor. The chemistry between the characters leaps off the page, drawing readers into a narrative that expertly balances passionate romance with thrilling plot twists. The infusion of wit and humor adds a refreshing layer, making the reading experience not only intense but also entertaining. Barth's ability to blend these elements seamlessly makes "Not Always An Angel" not just a book, but an immersive escape into a fantastical and enchanting world. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a romance that is both heart-pounding and heartwarming!

I ended up DNFing, this book confused me so bad. The storyline moved entirely too slow, and it felt like I had no idea what was going on. Come to find out that even though this is marketed as a standalone, you need to read the previous books to understand some things

Dnf for me at 50% …. I enjoyed the first book so I really thought this would be overall okay for me but I did not enjoy this at all I’m so sorry :(

This was a light, cute read with a fun premise and some sweet moments. I liked the idea of angels and romance mixed together, and the main characters had decent chemistry. That said, some of the plot felt a bit rushed or predictable, and I didn’t connect as deeply with the characters as I’d hoped. Still, it’s an easy, feel-good story if you’re in the mood for something quick and charming.

NOT ALWAYS AN ANGEL - Christi Barth

#3 in the Unlocking His Heart paranormal romance series

FUN and ENTERTAINING - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Liss Jemison is now the only powerless human among her friends, which makes her a target. To complicate things, she's also developing feelings for the fiercest Nephilim warrior, Zavier Carranza. With the apocalypse breathing down their necks, the fate of the world—along with Heaven and Hell—depends on whether Zavier and Liss (and the rest) can find a way to pull off a miracle.

Writing - 4 stars - As always, Barth grabbed my attention right from the first page. The characters have developed nicely, and the story has been established, with the tension building throughout the trilogy.

Characters - 4.5 stars - This is where the story shone for me. Liss is a strong, intelligent woman, and she has grown throughout the story into a solid part of the team, despite her limitations as a plain old human. She's struggling with feelings of inadequacy, so she spends a lot of time studying and researching, providing plenty of valuable information as her contribution. Zavier has always been the moody, dark Nephilim, and this time is no exception. But as he and Liss become closer, his mood begins to lighten in the face of her bright optimism. They make a cute power couple.

Title - 4 stars - I suppose this refers to Zavier and his snarkiness--not exactly angel behavior.

Cover - 3.5 stars - The cover doesn't especially represent the story, although the color is pretty and eye-catching. However, a stronger, brighter color might have been better.

Overall - 4 stars - This is a satisfying ending to what's been an entertaining trilogy. The human characters have developed into strong members of the team, discovering their skills and talents. The male characters continue to work together closely, and they also are adding to their knowledge and learning how to work well with the women. I felt the story got confusing from time to time, but that may have been my inattention rather than any flaw from the author. It's just that the many names and types of gods/angels, etc. sometimes bogged things down. This particular book had a nice edge to it, and it built to a very agreeable conclusion.

Oops, this is book 3 of a series I have not read. Maybe book 3 of 3? I didn’t really have any issue catching up given my expertise in paranormal romance at this point. Out of 3 angelic warriors, we are down to the last single one, so you can kind of assume what will happen.

Liss is the only human in the bunch, having had her BFF paired off, then expanded her social circle to include a belly dancing witch and an ex-hell resident lady. No matter how hard she tries, though, she feels like she is not contributing enough to the cause. That cause? There is some big world ending threat in the form of the Titans or something like that. Even without this threat over her head, I think Liss would have still felt inadequate. She is one tough cookie, though, as seen in how eagerly she is able to hit back when a sleazy guy attacks her.

Zavier is the last single warrior guy in the bunch, but he’s got some issues to work through. He was kidnapped for… a very long time and tortured. His brothers in arms ended up rescuing him, but he’s a big messed up because of it. He acknowledges his attraction to Liss early on, but fights it for the same martyr reasons guys always fight the attraction in these types of books. He doesn’t want to sully her with his darkness, etc. etc. etc.

Liss, of course, ends up being the one to push the issue of their attraction to the forefront. And then, shocker, the only human person involved in supernatural insanity gets hurt by some supernatural bad guys. This forces Zavier to break some rules to save the woman he denies loving. This continues, but it gets even more twisty-turny, with new powers emerging, lots of creatures I’ve never heard of, Atlantis, some old mentor showing back up, an angel with a broken wing, demons, and all of the other things you can think of. The showdown is epic, but we still get our beloved HEA.

This was not my favorite read. It’s a light, fluffy paranormal romance — the kind you’d read on a plane and likely forget. If you’re after escapism with no desire for intellectual or emotional nourishment, you may find it “sweet” or “adorable.” But if you prefer your angels with a bit of grit, gravitas, or even theological bite — look elsewhere.

I would recommended this to those who have a very high tolerance for cheese and a soft spot for Harlequin-esque heavenly hijinks.

This book introduces us to Liss, who recently learned about otherworldly beings and is now in danger of losing her life, and Zavier, a Nephilim who is trying to save her (while dealing with his own dark past). Overall, the book is cute but I struggled to get into it. I think it’s because it’s the third book in a series – while it states it can be a standalone, I feel like I was missing too much information and the story was a bit disjointed because of that. Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the eARC.

Hard to get info, lacked background, and felt like fanfic writing, and fairly disjointed. Not my jam.