My letter “W” pick for the A to Z Challenge was WHITE HOT KISS by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I’ve made no secret that I adore this author. She’s got a huge following in Romantasy and Contemporary Romance, but this is one of her earlier works and is targeted at YA (though it is slightly on the line of spicy by YA standards).

Layla has the typical problem of most magical teen protagonists – she just wants to be like every other teen she knows. Most of these are made up of Wardens, magical demon-hunting people who can shift into literal stone gargoyles when they fight or need to rest. Layla is an orphan who was raised by a clan of Wardens, as he herself is half Warden. The problem arises shortly after her seventeenth birthday, when the other half of her heritage starts drawing demonic attention, including that of a really hot demon prince named Roth. Layla discovers that her mother is none other than the powerful demon Lilith (something her Warden clan knew but never told her) and as the only half-warden, half-demon in existence, there are several factions in hell that find her valuable.

With the help of Roth, and to a lesser degree, her best friend/unrequited love interest – a Warden named Zayne (who of course, is set to be a part of a very messy love triangle), Layla begins the quest to learn about her demon and Warden legacies and what the fallout of her conception means for mankind. We only to scratch the surface of all the various cover-ups and lies in this book. Roth the demon prince carries a powerful attraction – and knows a lot more of the truth about the Wardens – than Layla had anticipated. The chemistry between these two is sizzling, despite Layla’s initial longing for Zayne, whom she can never have because if Layla kisses anyone with a soul, her demon instincts take over and compel her to consume it.

All in all, this book had rich world-building, fully-fleshed out characters, and left on a cliffhanger that perfectly sets up book two of this series. It was a fast read, a little predictable and filled with teen angst, but a good story overall. Four stars.