Covet: Fallen Angels Book 1    by J. R. Ward Order:  USA  Can Signet, 2009 (2009) Paperback      Reviewed by Martina Bexte After a long stint in the military Jim Heron is looking for normalcy in his life, even for a few short months. False identities and remaining below the grid won't keep his former handlers off his back for long. They'll eventually track him down and demand he take on another job - refusing isn't an option, not if he wants to live. For now he's content, living in a cheap apartment and working construction for boss Vin diPietro - that is, until a freak construction accident changes Jim's life forever. Vin diPietro has reached the zenith of his business career: he's head of the most successful and lucrative construction company on the east coast and about to propose marriage to a woman who would certainly add to his status. But everything Vin has worked so hard to achieve is rendered meaningless the moment he sets eyes on Marie Therese. Marie Therese knows she'd be crazy to fall for another man who reminds her of her ex-husband - a man who'd abused her, lied to her, and forced her not only into hiding but into prostitution to protect and care for her son. But she discovers that she cannot escape either Vin's (or Jim Heron's) determined campaign to bring them together - even when dark forces threaten to destroy them all. Despite Ward's use of clichéd characters and back stories - the disillusioned soldier running from his past, the desperate mother hiding from an abusive Mafia connected husband, and the real estate mogul who accumulates wealth and power to compensate for his horrible childhood - Ward spins a multi-layered and compelling story, with an equally moving romance between Vin and Marie Therese. Nor does she overstate the heavenly involvement when Jim's superiors are onstage, but rather puts an amusing spin on the proceedings as the angels guide, cajole and sometimes threaten Jim toward his new path of saving souls before the dark side claims them. Covet is a compelling beginning to J.R. Ward's Fallen Angel series and a story fans of paranormal romance shouldn't miss. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews