and Falling, Fly by Skyler White

From the book: In a dark and seedy underground of burned-out rock stars and angels-turned- vampires, a revolutionary neuroscientist and a fallen angel must put medicine against mythology in an attempt to erase their tortured pasts...but at what price?

Olivia, vampire and fallen angel of desire, is hopeless...and damned. Since the fall from Eden, she has hungered for love, but fed only on desire. Dominic O'Shaughnessy is a neuroscientist plagued by impossible visions. When his research and her despair collide at L'Otel Mathillide-a subterranean hell of beauty, demons, and dreams-rationalist and angel unite in a clash of desire and damnation that threatens to destroy them both.

In this fractures Hotel of the Damned, Olivia and Dominic discover the only force consistent in their opposing realities is the deep, erotic gravity between them. Bound to each other finally in a knot of interwoven freedoms, Dominic and Olivia-the vision-touched scientist and the earth-bound angel, reborn and undead-encounter the mystery of love and find it is both fall...and flight.

This book is a wonderful philosophical trip through the lives of the cursed and damned. This is also not your typical vampire book. In this one, vampires who must feed on the desires and fear through their victim's blood are actually angels of desire fallen from grace. If they do not feed, they suffer want that cannot be satisfied and fade from sight. Also, in this group of the damned are those taken from different mythologies who are now decedents of those cursed for their misdeeds. Their children share in a portion of their curse even if they have no idea why. All of these eventually seek knowledge, understanding or comfort in a hotel they are all drawn to called hell by it's inhabitants.

I have to say I enjoyed this book a lot. I do enjoy it when an author puts a different twist on stories in which we are familiar. Greek mythology, angel mythology, the Garden of Eden are all stories she used to twist into a interesting work of fiction. She also takes scientific philosophy to use as a counterpoint and basis for discussion. Within all this discussion blooms a love story made to redeem the two main characters. Redemption not born of their curses, but born from what they feared and avoided.

I recommend this book for those who love a dark story with a lot of philosophy. I recommend it for those looking for a different vampire story. I also recommend it to those who are wordsmiths. This book is also great for those as well. I gave this story 4 stars.

I received this signed book from Goodreads First reads program. No compensation was given for the review.