I love that this book is a standalone, I wasn't confused reading it since I didn't read the others, everything important was there, however you'll love thos one so much you'll want to go and read the others right after!

firstly i just want to mention that i grew up reading and watching shadowhunters and that is one of my all time favorite series, so i was really excited that i was accepted and allowed to read this. in a way it really brought me back to a series that made me fall in love with reading and i will forever be thankful for that. this book brought me just as much joy and left me wanting more in the best way.

there is so much tension, banter and chemistry between the two main characters, liss and zavier. i really feel connected to liss's character with her being the third wheel friend (single life things😂). but i feel like that is how zavier feels at times too. zavier is definitely a broody nephilim and i love it. i mean the grumpier the better right?

i will say that this series is marketed as being an interconnected standalone but i since it was my first book in the series, i felt a little lost in the beginning. i feel like i needed to have read books 1 and 2 to understand a few things. other than that i really enjoyed this book a lot. i will hands down be going back to read the first two after how much i loved this book.

I love romance novels like these, Liss and Zavier are hilarious, the banter and the tension???? FIREEEEEEEEEEEE, literally, lol. But this book is not read as a standalone, I felt left out, but other than that it was an awesome read, now I have to go back and read the others, because these characters are too funny.

Thank you to @EntangledBooks and NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

If you're in the mood for a paranormal romance with plenty of sparks and edge, *Not Always an Angel* by Christi Barth is your next read. The story centers on Liss Jemison, a completely normal human who’s suddenly thrown into a world of half-angels, Nephilim, and looming apocalyptic chaos. Six months ago, Liss’s life was ordinary, but after her friends fell for Nephilim, everything turned upside down. Now, she’s the easy target of the group, but Zavier, the fierce Nephilim warrior, has made it his mission to protect her—not just because she’s important to his friends, but also because he can’t seem to stop wanting to kiss her. As the apocalypse edges closer and Zavier’s past catches up with them, Liss is right in the thick of it all.

This book was such a delightful ride! Even though I haven't read the first two books in the series (but I’m definitely grabbing them now), I never felt lost or confused. Barth does a fantastic job of making this one accessible for newcomers, so no worries if you're jumping in mid-series. The locations they travel to are so vibrant and fun, especially their time in London—it had such a cute, romantic vibe. The pacing of the story kept me hooked from start to finish, never dragging.

But let’s talk about the real gems of the book—Zavier and Liss. The banter between them is top-notch, and the tension is palpable! Zavier’s grumpy, brooding energy paired with his surprisingly tender care for Liss made my heart melt. Liss’s journey to find her place within this otherworldly group felt so real, and her internal struggle really added depth to her character. Their romance? *Swoon*. It's the perfect mix of slow burn and explosive chemistry. If you love a good paranormal romance with a dash of danger, humor, and undeniable chemistry, you’re going to fall for this one!
#NetGalley, #EntagledBooks, #NotAlwaysanAngel, #ChristiBarth

Liss Jemison, una humana aparentemente sin poderes, se encuentra en el centro de una guerra entre demonios, Nephilim y antiguas fuerzas oscuras. Con la protección (y tensión romántica) del guerrero Zavier Carranza, la historia combina humor, drama y mucha química entre los protagonistas.

Aunque se puede leer de forma independiente, es el tercer libro de la serie,recomiendo leer los anteriores para entender mejor el mundo y sus personajes.

Fue una lectura ligera y entretenida, me sirvió para despejar la mente.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

Not Another Angel follows Liss Jemison, a powerless human surrounded by half-angels. Six months ago, her life was normal, until her friends fell for Nephilim and turned her world upside down. Liss is an easy target in their group, but Zavier, the fiercest Nephilim warrior, protects her because she’s important to his friends … and also because he wants to kiss her. With the apocalypse looming and Zavier’s past coming back to bite him and Liss.

This was such a fun paranormal, angel romance! I haven’t read the first two books in the series (although I really want to now) but the author did a great job at ensuring it wasn’t confusing or felt like I was missing much. I loved the setting and different places they visited. Their trip to London was so cute. The plot is well paced and kept me engaged.

There’s great banter and tension in this one! I loved how grumpy and broody Zavier was and how much he cared about Liss. I also really enjoyed Liss’s struggles and trying to find her worth in the group. I thought they were both characterized really well, and their romance was so swoony!

Overall, this is a great paranormal romance if you like Nephilim stories!

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for the arc

Not Always an Angel
By Christi Barth
Unlocking His Heart Book 3

Sometimes you try hard to like a book and it just doesn't work out but then again I also didn't read the previous 2 books so with that in mind I gave the book a 3.8 star rating. But I highly recommend you read the first two so that you aren't lost in the plot as I was.

Liss Jemison's has always felt left out now that her two best friends have found their fated mates but as hard as she tries she can't get Nephilim warrior, Zavier Carranza to notice her. When demons start being released from Hell they will all have all work together to save the world from the Titan's being released from their prison.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for allowing me to read Not Always an Angel .

A demon crashed Liss' roomate's party and now her world is filled with half-angels, demons and threats of apocalypse. Zavier, nephilium warrior, must work with her to protect her and save the world together....

Love the snark and fun. Liss is terrific and Zavier is funny. Love the entire book. Laughed so much while reading it. very fast-paced and much better if you have read the first 2 books.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

It's a fun book in an end of the world way. I gave it 3.5 stars.

I think it's a fast-paced read that has plenty of action. I think at times I wasn't super connected to the characters, especially the relationship between Liss and her bestie, Maisy seemed pretty juvenile especially when they're talking about their feelings. Some of the banter also felt very immature and I didn't vibe with it 100%. I also think at a certain point I get bogged down with a Main character continually repeating the same feelings or reasoning over and over - like Zavier thinking and feeling he deserves nothing good, etc. At some point, I need some change.

I can see how some people have said is reads YA at some point, and I can agree with that.

I definitely wanted more from the world as well. But I still liked this enough to read it and finish it. I think if you're in for a serious read, this isn't it. For an easier read, a palate cleanser if you will, this could be a great one for that.

Thank you to Entangled and Netgalley for the eARC of this book!

*I was given this book as an eArc but my review is based solely on my own thoughts and opinions*

I agree with what a lot of other people are saying. I didn’t know (or completely just missed this information all together cause I’m a hot mess lol) that’s it’s the 3rd book in a series. While you can read it as a standalone, it’s probably best to read the first two to really understand this better. I thought I could just dive into, nah. So I can’t judge my rating based off missing some information because I didn’t read the other two, that’s on me. It was cute, quirky and fun. It does have YA undertones with the banter, vibes and dialogue but with more mature nature if that makes sense. I don’t mind a YA book, it just seemed mixed. It’s funny to think it’s the end of the world yet they are in Zumba class and shopping at the mall haha you get the vibe. It has all the mystical things, angels, witches, unicorns, relics and even certain places/realms. There is a lot happening which got a little overwhelming at times. They literally throw everything at you.

I give it a 3 stars. I enjoyed it, it was fun. That’s about it haha. Hope whomever reads this enjoys it too! Perfect for people who want complex storylines but funny banter/bickering and sexy tension. Thanks so much for letting me arc this! I appreciate it :)

Not Always an Angel by Christi Barth is a captivating paranormal romance that immediately drew me in and kept me eagerly turning the pages, even pulling an all-nighter just to discover how it would conclude. The novel is fast-paced and features lively banter between the main characters, adding an extra layer of excitement to the story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Grumpy Nephilism? ✅
Banter? ✅
Tension? ✅ 🌶️

I loved this book. It was a cute and quick read. It’s about Liss (human) and Zavier (Neph) who is trying to protect her all while avoiding his feelings. Demons are attacking her and he blames himself. The Banter was great between the two characters. This book is somewhat a standalone but might have to read the other books to catch up a little bit.

⭐️ Thank you so much to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity for the chance to read the ARC and letting me leave my review ⭐️

Whew. That was… a ride. Not Always an Angel brings chaos, kisses, and apocalyptic stakes, and while it didn’t totally work for me, I can see why the series has its fans.

This book throws you right into the action—literally the edge of the apocalypse—with Liss, a snarky, supposedly powerless human, and Zavier, a brooding Nephilim with a hero complex and a serious case of repressed feelings. Their dynamic is built on banter, tension, and constant danger, and the chemistry? It’s there, no doubt. If you like your romance forbidden and your stakes sky-high (read: Heaven and Hell are hanging in the balance), this definitely delivers on that front.

Where it stumbled for me was in the tone. The writing reads very YA—cutesy, quippy, and sometimes overly simplified—but the themes and romance are aimed at an older audience. That mismatch threw me off. I love YA when it leans into what it is, but this felt like it was trying to straddle two lanes and ended up feeling a bit off-kilter.

Also, fair warning: while these books are marketed as interconnected standalones, jumping in with this one (book three) left me playing catch-up. You can read it on its own, but you’ll miss a lot of context that makes the worldbuilding and side character dynamics easier to follow.

Still, it’s a fast-paced read with spunky dialogue, a strong female lead who’s more than she seems, and a lot of demon-fueled drama. If you’re already invested in the series, Not Always an Angel will probably hit the mark. If not, maybe start at book one and see if the vibe is for you.

3.5⭐️ welp, that wasn’t at all what I was expecting and not just because it was the third book in the series and I was diving in for the first time.

I’m going to come back in the morning for finish. This way I can also digest this a bit because right now I’m a bit flummoxed. I did round up to a 4 ⭐️ as the series obviously has its following but it just wasn’t for particularly because of the juvenile prose.

Well I’m awake now and unfortunately time did not make things better. But i think maybe it’s a “me” thing. The cutesy fantasy trying to be real word with a romance just isn’t for me.
You know what it is? It reads like a young YA book with its prose but it’s not. Now I love YA but when that’s not its intent things get messy.

I’ll mention that while these are supposed to be interconnected stand alone books, each focusing on a different couple, I 100% suggest you read the others first. You do get some context from the past books but there is enough missing that it makes it harder to read.

That being said it’s fairly fast paced and has spunky banter between main characters. If you liked the others in the series I think you’ll like this for sure!

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary eARC from Entangled Publishing to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Chaos, kissing, and the literal end of the world—I'm in.

Liss is just an average human... until demons prevent her from going about her everyday life, like bad exes at a party. Now, she is just trying to survive dealing with the supernatural while avoiding evil, all while being babysat by Zavier—a grumpy, brooding Nephilim warrior who keeps trying to convince her that he isn't into her but is also way too good at this "forbidden attraction" thing.

The banter? Perfect. Tension? Sizzling. Stakes? Just the fate of Heaven and Hell, no pressure. Add some twisty secrets, some demons bending the rules, a miracle or two, and a heroine who isn't as powerless as she seems to be, and you've got a fun, fast-paced, kiss-or-die-trying read. If you love your angels messy, your romance filled with angst, and your plots full of action and attitude, this is for you!