Bitter Sweet Love (The Dark Elements 0.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Bitter Sweet Love (The Dark Elements 0.5)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
105 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: December 1st 2013
Rate: Loved it

*I was given this ARC for an honest review.*

Synopsis:

Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining balance between good and evil. He was her everything...right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.

And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again...

I never read a gargoyle book, but I don't care. The Dark Element series are my favorite gargoyle book! I don't think I've ever enjoyed so much a novella and be so sad when it was over. I think Jennifer L. Armentrout not only writes breath-taking and amazing stories, but she simply creates magical stories, because when you end her books you are aching for more, need more and regret to finish the books so early. And Bitter Sweet Love was no exception.

Sometimes when you read a novella you know when it would be best to read it, before or after reading the first book. But with Bitter Sweet Love I'm not sure. 

The Dark Elements novella tells us the story of Dez, a hot gargoyle Warden, and Jasmine, a female gargoyle who Dez broke her heart three years ago. They have an unbreakable bond together, because they met when they were kids and lived together until Dez left. And not only that, they were going to be mated! So you can see who deep their feelings for each other were and still are, although Jasmine doesn't want to forgive him so easily.

While knowing how these two end up together and become the admired couple that Layla likes so much, you get a glimpse of Zayne and Layla when they were kids. You get a different perspective and view, from Jasmine's eyes, about their relationship and you kind of admire Zayne and can help but like Layla.

That's one of the main reasons I don't know if this novella should be read before or after reading White Hot Kiss. It doesn't matter that you have not read the first book. You can easily follow the story, since this is only Jasmine and Dez's story and you get a perfect idea of what's going on in The Dark Elements "world". What makes me doubt is the glimpse of Zayne and Layla that you read in this book that may affect your judgement when you try to decide if you are team Roth or team Zayne. I have to confess that Zayne won extra points after this novella.

Jennifer L. Armentrout created, once again, a creative paranormal story with all the supernatural touch that only she can bring to a story, without losing the epic and unforgettable romance between two gargoyles. And letting us see Layla and Zayne when they were kids is simply amazing. You can understand more their relationship and get to see these two when they were innocent kids. 

I never thought I could love a series so much, but The Dark Element series simply blowed my mind to the level of creating a crazy fan here. 

I truly and honestly loved Bitter Sweet Love and that's one of the main reasons I'm highly recommending this book and giving it five gorjuss dolls. You cannot miss this refreshing new series. Or any series written by Jennifer L. Armentrout!

Thank you so much to Lisa from Harlequin Teen for offering the opportunity to read this book and for letting me enter this new world of gargoyles and demons. And to Jennifer L. Armentrout for creating such amazing stories and making us readers be insatiable!

# 1 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout Lives in West Virginia. 

All the rumors you heard about her state aren’t true. 

Well, mostly. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write.

She is the author of the Covenant Series (Spencer Hill Press), the Lux Series (Entangled Teen), Don't Look Back (Disney/Hyperion) and a yet untitled novel (Disney/Hyperion), and new YA paranormal series with Harlequin Teen. 

Jennifer also writes New Adult and Adult romance under the pen name J. Lynn. The Gamble Brothers Series (Tempting the Best Man/Tempting the Player) and Wait for You. Under her pen name, she is published with Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.