He was an artist. She was his muse.To everyone in town, Abel Adams was the devil’s spawn, a boy who never should have been born. A monster.To twelve-year-old Evie Hart, he was just a boy with golden hair, soft t-shirts and a camera. A boy who loved taking her picture and sneaking her chocolates before dinner. A boy who made her feel special.Despite her family’s warnings, she loved him in secret … warnings, she loved him in secret for six years. They met in empty classrooms and kissed in darkened church closets. Until they couldn’t.
Until the time came to choose between love and family, and Evie chose Abel.
Because their love was worth the risk. Their love was the stuff of legend.
But the thing about legends is that they are cautionary tales. They are made of choices and mistakes. And for Abel and Evie, the artist and the muse, those mistakes come in the form of lights, camera, sex.
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This book..this harshly beautiful, incredible book…what can I say? Saffron A Kent’s words are mesmerizing. Abel and Evie’s love story is unconventional, but it’s a love story nonetheless.
For me, reading is a chance to step into someone else’s life. It’s easy to say your heart breaks for a character, but it truly will here. My emotions were overflowing while reading. I felt their pain, their loneliness and anger, their love.
This is the kind of book that takes you out of your own little world, out of your comfort zone. Everything about Gods & Monsters is exceptional. Saffron’s talented mind has created a story I won’t soon forget.
I don’t even know where to begin, when you open a book by Saffron you know you’re going to get more, she gets right to the heart of a subject and forces you to take a good look at things. Its hard to write a review for this without getting ‘spoilery’ so I’m just going to say this is a book with layers. You think its a sweet coming of age love story, maybe friends to lovers, a little bit star crossed lovers but its so much more.
I loved Abel and Evie’s immediate connection, and Evie is absolutely adorable, she is a little naïve but with such inner strength that carries her through. I dare you not to fall in love with their story and be rooting for them to find their happy ending away from all the small town views and judgement, that forces their friendship into the shadows.
This story will take you down paths you will not see coming, it will challenge your views on religion, social conventions, anger and it will warm your heart with the relationship at its centre.
This has a taboo subject to start but a coming of age story about Evie and Abel. A great read!
Abel was born of taboo and labeled from the love of his parents. Evie was a girl that saw Abel for who he was, just a boy.
As they grew their love was all they knew and cared about. One night it all came crashing down and Evie was given a choice but she didn’t need the choice she had already chosen Abel.
This story kind of reminded me of Romeo and Juliet, a bit forbidden but in the end love will conquer except that Romeo and Juliet didn’t survive but Evie and Abel do.
Saffron this was a tear jerking but heart felt with a message behind it. Your writing flowed and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I like how you had Evie tell most of the story then let Abel have a voice. One must read this story to find their own words to describe because it was that good and words are failing me now. Saffron keep up the fantastic job of writing you do, because I will be looking for more of you to read.
I really don’t know where to begin in trying to describe my thoughts on this story. It was one of those stories that consumes you from the beginning and you don’t want it to end. There was so much intensity and passion in this story, that the emotions that Abel and Evie felt just jumped off the pages. I laughed, I cried, had my heart broken……and then had it put back together. I love the way Abel and his Pixie loved one another. They knew they had something special, unique, and yes unconventional….and that it was ok to love each other in the way they knew how.
Will this story be for everyone? Probably not. But those who don’t read it are missing out. It is such a powerful and emotional story that will leave you breathless by the end. Abel and Evie truly are a legend, as they are two characters that will always be remembered.
5 Outstanding Stars!!!
I’ve read Saffron Kent’s previous 2 books and watched her grow in her writing from A War like Ours to The Unrequited. She bloomed in The Unrequited and fully blossomed in Gods and Monsters! I can honestly say that with her writing as beautiful as it is in Gods and Monsters, this author has found her groove. Stay on this path because only good things can come from it!!!
Evie Hart has always been different, never wearing shoes, always in her treehouse, reading, writing and doing her best not to upset her mother. It was going as well as to be expected in her life.
The day came when a truck pulled into the driveway across the street. A home that never got visitors. A home you never went to. Nothing good has come out of that home. The townspeople prayed for the monsters who once lived there. Chased them right out of town.
Abel Adams is a monster. One that should have never been born. Forced to go back to the town that chased his parents away. At 15 years old, he is battling a war. A war against the townspeople and himself.
This story of love that starts from a young age by two innocent kids who only know of the stories they have overheard, gossip told by those who don’t know. A story that shows how children are innocent until they are formed into what and who their parents want them to be.
Abel and Evie are willing to take a risk because they believe in each other. They have spent countless hours in the treehouse, they have met in church each week, they have formed a bond that is stronger than the rumors. They are willing to take the risk, all in the name of Love <3
They knew it wouldn’t be easy. They were willing to beat the odds and tame the monster. But when it all comes to pot that is boiling over, were the odds truly not stacked for them? Is the camera too much that the artist has to give up his art to have true happiness?
What a RIDE!!! Saffron hit a homerun with this story.
#BookBistroBlogApproved
I was quite impressed with Saffron’s first two novels and this one didn’t disappoint either! It is so much more than a simple coming of age story. Pixie and Abel’s story is a tale of forbidden friendship that turned into a love story that just captures your attention. Their love is solid and they endured so much, for so many years. The choices that they make are hard and unconventional but that’s what makes the book worth the read. It wasn’t a story that was rehashed and recycled. It starts off sweet and forbidden but it gets dark for a while there too. The growth of their relationship and the growing up they do personally in the last part of the book proves that Gods & Monsters deserves to be read.
**** SPEECHLESS **** Saffron A. Kent…You left me SPEECHLESS reading this Marvelous Book!! Your Words NEVER DISAPPOINT plus I Crave Them!!! GODS & MONSTERS is not what you expect from Saffron, if you read her other two previous books, you know what I mean. But Evie (aka Pixie) & Abel’s Story will Grab you in the very First Chapter and WILL NOT LET YOU GO!!! I have always Loved Childhood Love stories and this is no exception. So full of curiosity, fascination, compassion & Love at such a young age. Evie & Abel discover each other on a day that Evie thought she was dying when she woke up. Twelve years old Evie saw fourteen year old Abel when getting off of his uncle’s old truck while running home for dinner, which so happens to be her new neighbor. They discover that Abel has a Backstory but it Does Not faze Evie since he is just a product of what happened but their small town Iowa Will Not. As the years go by, they must keep their friendship secret since the community of Prophetstown will practically disown them both which is why they meet up in Evie’s treehouse in the back of her farm. Where they talk but mostly where Abel draws & Evie writes in her journal. Until one fatal Prom night, where Hell breaks loose to where Evie must choose between Abel or her family.
I really loved this book and I don’t want to give any spoilers because this Book you want to Read it from Beginning to End! These two young humans have so much Chemistry and Passion towards one another but not to mention Unexpected Heartache at such a very Young Age! If you HAVE NOT YET READ ANY OF Saffron’s Books (cue rolling eyes), then Start with this One!! She WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU!! In Fact, You WILL Love HER & Her Words!! A MUST READ BOOK- Hands Down/ Two Thumbs Up!!!
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He’s staring at me like he always does.
“Then I’d tell you that I don’t like chocolate.”
My hand freezes in the air and my mouth pops open. “You don’t like chocolate?”
“Nope.”
“No way.” I grimace, my hand falling down to my lap with a thwack. “Oh my God.” I was not prepared for that. I wasn’t prepared for the monster to say that he doesn’t like chocolate . Except, Abel’s not a monster and I wasn’t really going to give him my chocolate.
A short laugh bursts out of him as he stares at me. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re more concerned about my lack of chocolate love than the fact that I might seriously be dangerous?”
“Oh, please.” I wave my hand. “You’re not dangerous, but what kind of a person doesn’t like chocolate?”
“The kind who likes…” He shrugs. “I don’t know… fruit?”
“You like fruit?” I screech, then glance around to find Jessica and the gang watching our exchange. But as soon as I glare at them, they all turn away.
“This is getting worse by the minute, isn’t it?”
“Duh. How can you like fruit and not chocolate?” I shake my head, frowning. “I can’t even understand that. That’s not normal.”
Chuckling, he shrugs. “Maybe nothing about me is normal, Pixie.”
Pixie? Did he just get my name wrong? “My name’s not Pixie .” I raise my eyebrows at him, feeling oddly disappointed and irritated. “It’s Evie.”
“Evangeline Elizabeth Hart. I know.”
Oh God.
You know it’s a been a fanflippingtastic read when it takes me this long to conjure words.
Where do I start? Usually, I go with hilarity and bump it up to obsessed? That cool? Yeah…okay.
When Saffron posted about this book last year, I knew, like abso-fucking-lutely knew I’d be reading this faster than I wanted to.
Like, you know when you have some delicious, mouth-orgasm-inducing ice cream, and you want to savor each bite and lick it as slow as possible. Try not to get as pervy of a visual that I’m giving you. HAHAHA.
Well, you cherish that ice cream, (yeah, I’m a food obsessed person, sue me.) and that wasn’t the case here. I legit started slow, like think of rereading the same page in history class over and over because you’re cramming for a test. That was me, except it didn’t last long. I kept reading, kept absorbing it all, and then like Evie with her fucking Toblerone addiction, I swallowed their story whole, without a second thought.
Yeah, I’m a glutton, in more ways than one. So, now that I told you how slow of love I made with this story (so, not intentionally being creepy, it just happens.)
Evie is by far my favorite character of Saffron’s. For one, she loves chocolate, she’s already a winner in my book. Two, she’s not afraid of pissing others off, while being afraid at the same time. It’s like when you’re younger, you can be like everyone around you, or you can be your own person. Evie is her own person, and she’s fucking epic, like their love.
This is my favorite inner musing of hers.
I don’t think that monsters are all bad or evil, actually. I think what they have is a story and I like stories more than I like anything else in the world.
What kind of person has such beauty in such a rough world? An excellent one with a soul of a thousand. That’s what kind of person she is.
Then we got Abel. Fuck, yeah we do. Abel Adams is everything good and bad in the world. Not bad, per se, but he’s damaged like any person shunned from the world.
He’s that bad boy type we all not-so-secretly crave. He’s someone you want to fix and make pure in some form. To have him love you above all else. To want what you have to offer, and double that love, dedication, and need by at least ten.
When you don’t believe in a forever and irrevocable kind of love, Abel makes you believe. Abel is God, Abel is life, and now I’m talking like some sort of obsessed-crazed-bitch.
I AM.
Favorite Abel-isms.
“I want you, Pixie. I want you in my life and if I have to sell everything I own, even my own soul, I’ll do it. My mom used to say people with no souls are monsters. I don’t mind being one if I get to keep you. And I’m keeping you, Evie.”
“I’m fucking keeping you. Even God can’t snatch you away from me.”
Like holy-mother-fucking-yes. Get you an Abel Adams, and hold onto him for dear life.
This is me, yet, also Evie. That lucky bitch.
Loving Abel Adams might be the purest and truest thing I’ll ever do.
That’s right, bitches. I’m loving Abel with Evie, I’d even give up tacos for him. That’s true fucking love.
Just read the book, then you’ll see. You’ll become obsessed and enamored quickly, but don’t let that fool you. You’ll be holy-shit-tacos-batman crazed over their epic love, and then you’ll be like, “Yeah, that bitch Cassie told me so.” Then drink some booze for me, because I support that kind of crazy shit.
Bravo, Saffron. Bra-fucking-o.
C.L., out!
So many emotions. Everything seemed to factor into one commonality–The dichotomy of emotions. Two sides: emotions and logic both battling to see would be the victor in the ultimate goal which is Love. This book is the culmination to that. What would you do at age 12/14 and felt a connection that was bigger than anything you had zero experience in? This is what happened with Evie and Abel. It was as if they were two magnets and were drawn to each other. Despite this you knew that you needed to honor the magnetic pull no matter the cost? Could You do it? Even if you had been raised your entire life to be afraid of the monsters.?
It’s not the monsters that need to feared but the words used to describe a person or to keep someone away that does more damage. Funny that it is the people in this little Christian town that are using their words like stones when in reality they should be more Christ like. After all, isn’t that what Christ himself would have done rather than focus on the legacy of Abel and his parents especially since children are born innocent.
The story of Abel and Evie was a coming of age story that had so many dimensions to it. It was more than just two sweet kids that connected and grew up knowing that their love was unconditional and pure. There was nothing tainted about it other than the adults who condemned him on the actions of his parents. Yet, it goes further than that, It is a story that demands they find there faith. Where One believes God will protect and love them while the other hates God because he failed him and his parents, For Abel, the only thing he knows is that with his Pixie he only knows heaven in his heart. It is a good thing Evie believes enough for both of them.
This author did an exceptional job at story building. From the first chapter, you were given a portrayal of what this entire town and family was going to be like, especially Evie. She was the embodiment of pure and good, A great example of this was how five year old Evie would have dealt with the monsters under bed that her mother threatened her with, “Why would he care whats I ate? Was he hungry? Because if he was I would totally share… I would give him a piece of chocolate and tell him to stop trying to be scary.” Add in young Abel who saw the world with jaded eyes until he saw his chance at not being a monster for the first time in his life.
This book is about passion, and love in every stage in this journey. From young love all the way to adults. It is the culmination of following a predetermined destiny by being the legends that someday would be handed down and told to future generations. When the love moved into adulthood, the author did a fantastic job depicting the scene with the perfect sensitivity and made it beautiful . Later moments of steam were a little more intense but still beautifully crafted. These two together are everything. They see each other with such clarity that they stay true to the love and connection that they have. No amount of hate spewed vitriol changes the connection of these dual flames.
It is unfathomable to me that this is only the third book that this author has written because she weaves a story with such ease and fluidity that it creeps into your soul and entwines into your very essence . It changes how you see things. Not everything is black and white. Sometimes in the case of emotions you need to let the logic go and follow your heart.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
Evie and Able’s story was absolutely beautiful! This author never disappoints in delivering a unique storyline with characters I love . This forbidden love story is one that will stick with me forever. My heart broke for both characters for what they both went through to be together their love is so pure and true . I’m not sure why there is so many mixed reviews for this one but I loved it ! This story was full of angst heartache lies betrayal and the steam sheesh Saffron Kent can write some steamy passionate scenes . This is a definite must read and definitely gets my five stars!
Review Gods & Monsters by Saffron A. Kent
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, . I am determined to get through all of Saffron’s backlist because she is just PHENOMENAL. Every read by her I have fallen in love with. She takes you to a different world with every read and you can’t help but feel so immersed in the story that it’s all you can think about. I had no idea what to expect going into this novel, the angst, the passion, the heartbreak, the love story, I was on a rollercoaster that I never wanted to get off of.
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Our Heroine Evie was so strong, beautiful, & caring she has a fierce love and protectiveness of whom she lets inside her heart. When she first meets our Hero Abel she is immediately drawn to him. Why is he considered the towns devil child? When he doesn’t seem so bad at all. He seems lost, and lonely. When Evie and Abel form a friendship they must keep it a secret, so they meet in her treehouse and sneak glances at eachother at school, but slowly as they become older they start to look at eachother in a whole new way and those butterflies when she first saw him at 12 years old are slowly now starting to make sense.
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“ , . . . .“
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Our Hero Abel was broken, lonely, possessive, and misunderstood. He has such a huge heart but because of his parents he was cast aside to be forgotten. He then meets the adorable 12 year Evie who shows him love, compassion and friendship. Evie means everything to him, but her family and the town will stop at nothing to tear them apart. That is until they take matters into their own hands and leave that town in there review mirror.
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Rating; 5
Steam; 5
In awe, in awe, in such terrific awe for this author’s work. I was dragged into this love story from the get go and every second blew me away.
This story broke me. At times the subject was so heavy and deep that I felt like I could not breathe.
Gods & Monsters is about people and what we do to each other, consciously and subconsciously, and the cause and effect of our actions. But it is also about love and relationships, of hope and forgiveness, anger and revenge.
It is a beautifully written story of young love.
Sorry kids and husband… I started Gods and Monsters this morning and did not feel complete until I finished it. Amazing! LOVE Saffron A. Kent! love…love…love, I want to eat her up with a spoon and then take some sick days to read everything she has ever written…shopping lists…birthday cards, all of it.
-KC
Five all-consuming stars! Will you choose a monster or a god?
Holy twisted world! Wow! I don’t know how to start my review because I was left speechless. I have not the right words to describe how much I freaking loved this book. This is the first time I read something written by Saffron and lady you are my new favourite author. You are awesomely talented, why haven’t I read you before? Your writing is addictive and brilliant.
Gods & Monsters is a thrilling masterpiece wrapped in a sinful poetic writing. Not to mention I fall in love with the cover. The mix of forbidden and romance is a powerful combination that not many writers explode it well; not the way Saffron has done it. She delivers a fierce and scandalous book with strong characters that screams perfection all over.
This is the kind of book that could ruin you in a devious way. Evie and Abel gave a new meaning to romance. Mark my words: Their story will be a legend in the reading community because this book is unforgettable. It left me craving for more.
The book is beautifully structured. And my favourite part is the last chapters. You will have to discover the why because I am not telling you. (When you read this book, you will know it and will agree with me)
I had a great time while reading this book and listening the playlist inspired by it. I highly recommend you to listen to it while reading this book. It is an experience I want to repeat many times.
I urge you to read this book. You won’t be disappointed and as me you will crave for more.
To everyone in town, Abel Adams was he devil’s spawn, a boy who never should have been born – a monster. To 12-year-old Evie Hart, he was just a boy with golden hair, soft t-shirts and a camera. He loved taking her picture and sneaking her chocolates before dinner. He made her feel special. Despite her family’s warnings, she loved him in secret for six years. They met in empty classrooms and kissed in darkened church closets. When the time came to choose between love and family, Evie chose Abel. She did so because their love was worth the risk. Their love was the stuff of legend. The thing about legends is that they are cautionary tales. They are made of choices and mistakes. For Abel and Evie, the artist and the muse, those mistakes come in the form of lights, camera, sex. – This is the best love story I have read in a long time. A love like this does not come along often. I loved Abel and Evie and their immediate connection. I hated how he was judged and treated. You will feel every emotion with their friendship and love . Only an epilogue would have made this excellent book better.
“‘ . ‘ , ? . . . .”
: new adult, forbidden romance, small town, slow burn, second chance and steamy
Miss Saffron never fails to drop stories that consume you and this wasn’t the exception. It’s quite different to the usual, but still such a phenomenal read.
The story is about first love, passion and intensity, but also how two people can get too much attached and become toxic.
Evie and Abel, the town’s princess and the monster, the artist and his muse. I fell for these two characters since they were introduced. They have two different backgrounds, but at the same time they have been thru a lot. They fell for each other since they met and for years they have been keeping their love from the world.
Once she turns 18, things change and take a whole different turn. Their innocent love starts to get tainted with toxicity and hate, which consumes them. But I love how they fixed their issues and had their well deserved HEA.
If you want something different to the usual, with all the feels and a consuming story, please pick this one out. It’s a must read!!!
This book follows Abel and Evie from early teens to 20s. I think it is a dark romance. There are a lot of trigger warnings for this one IMO. Abuse, porn, graphic sex scenes with anger to name a few. I enjoyed seeing Abel and Pixie (Evie) grow into adulthood even if it was a rough go at it. There are very little interactions with outside people. The story revolves around the two of them as they fight to stay together.
Wow! Every book I read of Saffron Kent’s is unique and wonderfully weird. There’s always more going on than meets the eye and I love that about her books!
I really loved Abel and Evie, but I felt so bad for both of them in the beginning of the book. Ugh, his story broke my heart and although she seemed to have it all, Evie’s story was heartbreaking as well. It just wasn’t as obvious as his. The way they had an instant spark that only got stronger as time passed was so fun to read.
I always love the characters Saffron writes cause they’re never perfect, they’ve always got their demons and flaws and they’re always so relatable. She’s definitely one of my fave authors because I know that I’ll always be super entertained and the stories are always a bit unexpected.
3.5. I don’t know… I just wasn’t as into this as I wanted to be. The book started off as Evie and Abel were kids. I saw how they started to like each other, grew to love each other, and I didn’t get the normal “awwww” feeling I normally get with these types of books. I don’t know what it was about it that didn’t pull me in, but it is what it is. Overall – Not bad but not super memorable either.