This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was steamy, fun, action-packed and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I loved the series Lucifer. I must have watched all the seasons multiple times. Christi Barth’s Not Always An Angel is deemed to be similar to the Lucifer show, and that piqued my interest. It is the third book in an interconnected series. As a non-book-number follower, I was fine reading Book 3 first. I enjoyed the charm and the lightheartedness of Not Always An Angel. Zavier’s character was well-written. I liked his personality and how protective he was with Liss—perfectly matched up with her sass!

3.5✨
Would have been great to know ahead of time that this was book 3. It can be read as a standalone, and they loosely give info on the previous books. But it's also blatantly obvious that the world and characters are already established.
That being said, since I didn't read the previous two, Liss and Zavier's relationship seemed kind of fast despite them knowing each other for six months. I did love them together though. The bickering and banter *chefs kiss* I'll probably circle back to the first two at some point because I adore our three Nephilim boys. They had such a fun relationship.
The use of various mythologies is very interesting and something I don't see many authors do.
Thank you to Entangled for the ARC!

The chemistry between Liss and Zavier was so good. I particularly liked the banter. Liss struggles with feeling powerless and like a burden because everyone around her has powers. Zavier has baggage having been held prisoner and tortured and is convinced he’s dark and will drag Liss down so he tries to resist letting her in. I loved watching them fight the attraction they have for each other. I love a good slow burn and even though it seemed like they would give in pretty early on Zavier fought the good fight.

My problem with this book is just that it is supposed to be an interconnected stand alone and I felt completely lost at times. There definitely was some attempts to catch the reader up on the other books but it just feels like this is too big and involved of a story not to read the books in order.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

Total rating was 3.75 but could round up to 4. So thankful to @entangled_publishing and @christibarth for the chance to read this as an ARC.
Now on to the review. This book is perfect mix of real life + mythology + pop culture humor. The book is an interconnected book with 2 coming before it, but it’s not necessary to have read the others before jumping into this one. With today being release day, I will keep my review almost completely spoiler free, but I think this book was super action packed all the way through. It’s a dual POV which I’ve really started enjoying, and I loved so many of the characters that got introduced including the dear librarian. This book felt very much new age in the references it made and the way it brought up the relevant to today topics and ideas. That’s not something I’ve had a lot of experience reading but it was done in such humor that I loved every second of it. The romance here was good but not super spicy and could easily be bypassed if you didn’t want to read it. The only thing I wish was that the ending had little more closure, as I was like “wait, we are done?!” I feel that way about many good books though, so it’s not surprising.

1.5 stars
okay so i sadly had to dnf this. i was super excited to try this but personally none of it made sense and i was super confused.
i feel like i would have loved this if i was in the mood to. im gunna give this another try in october, because this isnt giving summer or spring.
i also probably should have read the first books in the series so this is on me

What an angelic five-star read. This is number three in the unlocking his heart series, and I would say it’s best to read them in order as they do build the story and allow you to understand what’s been going on, the unsettling nature of the clash of the worlds, it allows you to truly understand Liss and why she feels so puny and not worthy of the people around her. This was a story that had its moments, some of them not as good, but most of them just beautiful. I have loved this series and am almost sad to see them all finished, but then you never know, maybe we will keep up with them, just because the war is over doesn’t mean that everything is settled.

I loved the premise of this series! Angels and demons and all the paranormals, half angels fighting for good so the world doesn’t end. All good stuff. The only issue I had was that the story was way too wordy. I found myself skipping pages of inner monologues and useless dialogue to get to the point. Sometimes the friend group would go off on a tangent (which I guess was supposed to add levity and comradery to the scene) but really just frustrated me.
Zavier and Liss definitely had chemistry and lit the pages on fire (when they allowed themselves to).
I was able to pick this book up and figure out what was going on without having read the previous books which is a plus when the synopsis of a book speaks to you. I’d give this 4 stars though just because I had a hard time staying interested with some scenes not getting to the point.

⁕ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐀𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 | 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 ⁕
★ ★ ★ ★ ➌.➐➎ - ➍ /𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜
𝙿𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚜: 𝟹𝟺𝟿

ＡＲＣ ＲＥＶＩＥＷ
💭 𝚖𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:

Liss, a powerless and some would say “useless” human in a world of half-angel of demons and an abundance of evil.

She didn’t ask for this. A party then turned when a demon crashed her friend’s party and now her world is turned upside now. Did I mention she has a full blown babysitter. Zavier, a strong yet handsome and grumpy Nempilim warrior.

With the world on the verge of an apocalypse and destruction between both dementions must sheild and protect Liss all while downplaying his own demons, attraction and feelings towards her.

This was my first paranormal romance and book by Christi Barth. So this is was so new to me. It was fast paced when leading up to the attacks and the traveling they had to do was a lot of fun. The tension between both characters was exhilarating. There was banter and funny moments through out the book which makes the book very enjoyable and not so serious!
Liss deals with her struggles to belong while being the “helpless” one in the group brought in relatable moments for any reader.
Both main characters chemistry was swoon worthy and I believe Christi executed the story, theme, plots, tension and laughter wonderfully!

ᴀ ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ to Entangled Publishing and Netgallery for this advanced copy of this binge worthy book!

⁕ PUB DATE: April 21, 2025

Not Always an Angel is brought to you by Christi Barth and Entangled Publishing!

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled for the opportunity to read this ARC.
This is a cute story. I wasn't super into it because I didn't realize it was a book 3 of a interconnected stand alone when I requested it but it said can be a standalone I attempted. I felt like I was missing something the whole time. The cute relationship with Zavier and Liss. The whole friend dynamic of multiple couples is well made. Its a good story I just wished I read the other books first.

This is a stand alone that doesn't work if you haven't read the other books in the series. They don't really help you understand the world or the lore. The romance is a standalone, sure. But the rest of it? It feels like you're jumping in and expected to know.

I kept trying with this one and I kept failing. I wanted to love it and it just never came together for me. I'd say I might like if I tried the first book first, but even then I just couldn't get into the writing enough.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Liss and Zavier - they spend so long denying the chemistry between them, all whilst lighting up any room they both happen to be in with their insane chemistry! Zavier may be a big, bad, dangerous to know Nephilim warrior but he finds himself wanting to just be around Liss. This man was so all in he couldn't see the rim of the whole he'd flung himself into, lol

Liss was so over being the third wheel at every event with her loved up friends but Xavier was right there with her like a silently brooding bodyguard. He gave grumpy a new level to aspire to!

Liss had been drawn in to a whole new world when her best friend’s life changed. She felt like she was on the fringes of this new world as she was the only human with no powers in their group.

Zavier was a strong, brave, determined Nephilim who thought he wasn’t good enough to be saved by his kind years ago. Only his two best friends had been there for him and he had been emotionally closed off ever since.

Liss and Zavier are thrown together when their friends fall in love. They had friendship growing, with a lot of snark thrown in for good measure.

As the danger escalated in the other world Liss decided to make Zavier have a little fun and doesn’t give up till she gets what she wanted from him. Their attraction to each other had grown the longer they have k ow each other, but both thought they are not enough for the other. I wanted to bang their head together at times.

Liss has a whole new life to get used to when she is injured and needs other worldly help. This brings new parts to her she doesn’t fully understand at first and she struggles with this. She doesn’t appreciate how strong, loyal and loving she really is and how she slowly brought Zavier back to life.

They are thrown in to a dangerous finale where they had to fight to save humanity and they prove to each other how much they love each other while doing it.

I was in a bit of a slump from reading my normal romances and this book gave me the passionate,, loving and adventurous change of pace I was looking for.

I would definitely read the books in order to get the full enjoyment and the most out of the story.

This was a fun, passionate, throughly enjoyable read.

✨ He’s a grumpy Nephilim warrior.
✨ She’s a “powerless” human caught in the middle of an actual apocalypse.
✨ Sparks fly. Rules break. Chaos reigns.
And I was 👏 HERE 👏 FOR 👏 IT.

Christi Barth’s Not Always an Angel gave me sizzling tension, non-stop action, and the kind of slow burn that makes you scream internally. Liss is done being the fragile human. Zavier is fighting his past and his feelings. The fate of Heaven, Hell, and the world? On the line. 😮‍💨

If you love your romance with wings, war, and world-ending stakes—add this to your TBR like… yesterday. 🔥🖤

—

🖤 Tropes to love:

Grumpy x Sunshine

He Falls First

Protector Vibes

Found Family

Forced Proximity

Secret Power Reveal 👀

Apocalyptic Stakes

Banter + Steam + Badass Vibes

#NotAlwaysAnAngel #ChristiBarth #FantasyRomance #ParanormalRomance #BookTokMadeMeDoIt #RomanticFantasy #GrumpySunshine #ForcedProximityRomance #HeFallsFirst #NephilimLove #BookstagramMadeMeDoIt #literaryhavocreviews #RomanceTropesILove #FantasyRomanceReads #SpicyBooksRecs #ApocalypseRomance

The narrative excels in its fast-paced action and the palpable tension between Liss and Zavier. Their dynamic is charged with chemistry, and their interactions provide both heat and heart. Barth’s signature wit shines through their banter, adding levity to the high-stakes plot.

However, the story occasionally leans heavily on familiar tropes, and some character developments feel rushed. While the romance is compelling, a deeper exploration of Liss’s transformation and Zavier’s internal struggles would have added more depth to their journey.

Overall, Not Always an Angel is an enjoyable read for fans of paranormal romance, offering a blend of action, humor, and steamy moments. While it may not break new ground, it delivers a satisfying continuation of the series.

Not Always An Angel focuses on the story of Liss Jemison, a ‘normal’ human with a group of friends - some recent, some old friends - each powerful in their own way. One of these friends is Zavier, a powerful Nephilim warrior with whom there is sexual tension.

Overall this was a light and pleasant read. While this is the third book in a series, they are marketed at stand-alone, with each book focusing on the story of a different friend. That being said, having not read the first two books before this one, there were definitely things that I was confused about, and places where I just kept getting lost. My recommendation would be to read the first two books before this one because there will be helpful context!

I did however still enjoy this read, and can see why the series has fans. The dynamic between Liss and Zavier in particular I loved, as their bond is built on sarcasm, banter and some initial repressed feelings. There is definitely chemistry between these characters! And all this plays out with a looming end of the world threat.

On the whole I enjoyed reading this book, and would give it a solid 3.5 stars in my personal rating scale. At times it felt like a YA book (now I love YA books so no judgement there at all), but then there were some definitely adult open door scenes (also love). These things together however at times didn’t fully mesh in my mind, but that’s also very possibly because I didn’t have the context of the first two books.

A huge thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Not Always An Angel in exchange for my honest review.

I thought it was pretty good!
Interesting concept for sure. Although it can be read as a standalone, I for sure recommend that you read the previous books in the series to get a better idea of the group/plot/setting etc.

This was such a fun book! This book is technically a standalone book in a series, and the author did a great job getting the basics in the world building out of the way as to not confuse the reader, I wish I had read the first 2 books first. There were references to previous events that I just wish I had more knowledge of.
It’s written in 3rd person with multiple POV. Sometimes it took me a moment to determine what POV we were in as it swaps between Liss and Zavier.

Thank you Entangled and NetGalley for the arc!

In a span of 6 months,Liss’s life has changed. Now her life is filled with half angels, demons, and way too much evil. And amidst all her powerful friends, she feels like a simple, powerless human ( though is she ?).
Zavier, a powerful Nephilim warrior, is busy fighting demons, trying to avoid apocalypse, and at the same time keep Liss safe and not kiss her, which is proving harder than fighting the demons.
This was a fun book to read. I enjoyed the banter between Zavier and Liss. And not just the banter, I also loved how understanding they are of each other, it made their sizzle that much more hotter, and Liss’s attempts at seducing Zavier that much more fun.
Overall I enjoyed this read.

These books are always an undeniable source of fun for me. From the moment I read book one, I knew this would have been an enjoyable and interesting series to get through. Especially considering that it has all the good hearted spirit of fun banters and the hotness of spicy scenes involving half angels while also keeping up the mystery of what is happening to them and their loved ones. And the three women by their side are an absolutely marvel. They are amazing women and Liss is such a strong willed, stubborn but determined character whom I appreciated a lot in book one and wanted to hear more of. As for our MMC, Zavier … he is a tortured soul and a brooding love interest we all constantly fall for without possibility to stop!!! and he knows his way with words !!! It gave me exactly what I wanted and what I needed without having to ask for more !!! I’m glad I read it !!!