Dark Paradise by Angie Sandro

I received this book free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Miss Sandro and Forever Yours Publishing for this opportunity.

Description via Goodreads:

DARK LEGACY

Mala LaCroix has spent her whole life trying to escape her destiny. As the last in a long line of "witch women," she rejects the notion of spirits and hoodoo and instead does her best to blend in. But when she finds a dead body floating in the bayou behind her house, Mala taps into powers she never knew she had. She's haunted by visions of the dead girl, demanding justice and vengeance.

DEADLY SECRETS


Landry Prince has always had a crush on Mala, but when Mala discovers his sister, murdered and marked in some sort of Satanic ritual, he wonders if all the rumors about the LaCroix family are true. Yet after Mala uses her connection to the spirit world to identify his sister's killer, he starts to form his own bond to her . . . a very physical one. As they move closer to each other and closer to the truth, Mala and Landry must risk everything—their families, their love, and even their lives.

My Opinion:

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical about this book. There are a few times I have attempted to read a story about the Louisiana Bayou hoodoo, voodoo, witches, and such and ended up not finishing them. But the description for Dark Paradise just pulled me in like no other romance/thriller. And boy was I glad I took the chance on this book! Miss Sandro must be a witch from the Louisiana Bayou herself to be able to weave such a dark, exciting, thriller interlaced with romance. She had me hooked by page 2! I instantly felt so many things for Mala. I felt so bad for her upbringing, but at the same time I was so entranced with her strong, independent nature. Miss Sandro did a superb job of showing Mala's many different facets. She is a strong independent young lady forced to learn how to be a caregiver to her drunken/prostitute of a mother, yet she is still somewhat naive in the relationship department. 

After she finds a dead body floating in her swamp, she begins to see and feel ghosts. Of course in her mind, she feels like she is going crazy. And when her mother confronts her with what is really happening, Mala denies it until she can't ignore it anymore. But then, she finds she has someone to confide in, Landry, the brother of the victim. Landry is also being haunted by the same ghost, his sister. As Mala and Landry are thrown together, Mala starts to learn the difference between a crush and love.

This book was one that I almost couldn't put down. If I didn't have to sleep, I would have read it in one sitting. I enjoyed the way Miss Sandro created her characters. All of them had so many facets and they all intertwined like a perfect melody. I actually found myself beginning to get angry at the characters who treated Mala bad, and started to "like" the characters who treated her with respect. I have to say that I really enjoyed the little twists and turns in the plot.

I can't wait to read the next book to find out more about Mala.

This is a definite READ THIS BOOK!!

Happy Reading!