Lailah

Originally published serially on Wattpad, Kelly’s debut pits vampires against angels in a cross-dimensional battle for human souls. It’s a cold winter’s night when Cessie rescues an injured vampire named Jonah on her way home from work. Cessie knows how dangerous vampires can be, but she’s protected by her body’s ability to heal itself from even fatal injuries, reviving each time with no memory of her previous life. Fleeing Jonah’s powerful pursuers brings Cessie to Gabriel, an archangel who has been helping vampires like Jonah break free from their creators; in Gabriel, Cessie recognizes a face that has been haunting her. Unfortunately, little worldbuilding is realized in this first installment in the Skyclar Saga; most of the present-day events revolve around Cessie’s romantic entanglements, while the supernatural plot gets shoehorned into expository chunks. As a protagonist, Cessie tends to be reactive, and she has a habit of running out of the room whenever she’s faced with emotional conflict. There’s plenty of backstory to intrigue readers, and romance fans will enjoy Cessie’s complicated dynamic with her suitors, but the book’s pacing problems prevent it from fully living up to its potential. Ages 12–up. (Oct.)