In this final installment, even the last Nephilim warrior finds his unexpected love—in the most unlikely person, a human named Liss. The story quickly becomes layered with twists, as the fate of humanity rests in the hands of just a few individuals. Amid all the tension, a strong and touching connection develops between Zavier and Liss.What I especially enjoyed was the dynamic between them: how they influence one another, help heal old wounds, and take the difficult but rewarding journey toward forgiveness, healing, and ultimately accepting love. A truly sweet and engaging story.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley.

A pretty fun read

STANDALONE in the UNLOCKING HIS HEART series
Ever since half-angels have crashed into her life, Liss has felt like a burden. Being the only human in the friend group, she has become an easy target, which Zavier, a Nephilim warrior, keeps reminding her of. But beyond protecting her, Zavier seems determined to resist his desire for her-which Liss doesn't intend to let him get away with. With the apocalypse on the way, they will have to break a lot of rules to save themselves and the world around them.

This book was quite fun! I hadn't read the other books in the series, and it didn't prevent me from understanding the world or the story at all, which I enjoyed. The worldbuilding is interesting, simple but efficient, with just the right amount of paranormal to make the story more addictive. The fantasy intrigue was intense, but a bit slow at times, which isn't a problem since this is mainly a romance, but did slow down the story at some point. As for the romance, it was electric from the start, a bit predictable too, but still really enjoyable. I liked how Liss and Zavier got on each other's nerves until they finally broke. Liss's resilience and determination might be my favorite trait of hers, and the passion behind Zavier's grumpiness was an enjoyable touch as well. All in all, fun and easy to read.

I recommend if you want a cool paranormal romance with tension and an interesting intrigue.

“To thank you for bringing me back to life. For burning through the scar tissue around my heart with that incadescent smile of yours.”

Cute and fluffy, but would not recommend as a stand-alone.

Not Always an Angel is marketed as a stand-alone but I would not recommend reading it that way. It felt like I was not only coming in part way of the big overarching plot of the trilogy but that I was coming in part way through the love story, their meeting, background and even fake date occurred in the other books. I think a rewrite of these scenes from Zavier and Lisa’s perspective would have made both those who had read the previous book and new readers feel interested and connected to the story. I liked both main characters but I felt less connected to them from not getting the full story of who they were, we didn’t delve into the trauma that they had and it felt like it had been touched on previously but not for me as a new reader. In general it felt Zavier’s trauma was talked about but brushed over and solved in a really inauthentic way which I didn’t love.

I did like both of the characters to the depth I did get to know them which is why I would have loved to get to know them more!!

I mean dark, brooding and snarky? We all know that’s kryptonite and that is Zavier.

I liked the sisterhood and brotherhood that existed between the characters and am interested in reading the previous books in the series to see how the rest of the stories unfold

Thank you NetGalley and Christi Barth for a copy of Not Always an Angel

loved the first book and this one as well. its perfect to read on halloween season. its fun, romantic, lighthearted... its an amazing in between reads and perfect for a light read during that time.

Each book in the Unlocking His Heart series is
* Imperfect Angel
* Hell of an Angel
* Not Always an Angel

I just finished the third book in this paranormal romance series. It’s marketed as a standalone, but I would recommend reading the first two books before you delve into this one. I was lost in a few places without the context of the first two books. Although, it is a lighthearted escape that had me laughing and enjoying the quirky characters.

Not Always an Angel by Christi Barth was just not a book I could get interested in. I feel if I left a Goodreads review it would not be fair to the author or people who enjoy this genre.

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 :(