Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

“For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.”

~Description taken from GoodReads

As this is my first review, I figure I have to start on the right track and be honest: The reason I chose to read this book is because of the really, really pretty cover. Shirtless male angel? Yes, please! For the record, I insist that this decision was not based on lack of taste, but because my neglected hormones were rebelling against my attendance of a women’s college.

The cover combined with the description of the love interest Patch made me believe that this would be a quick, fun, romantic novel perfect for the summer months. Unfortunately, this was not entirely the case. Hush, Hush is definitely a quick read, but it isn’t the escapist paranormal romance I was looking for. This is because Patch simply isn’t likable.

Many times in the romance genre the leading male seems abrasive at the start of the novel only to have his true character shine later on. Think of how Mr. Darcy called Elizabeth unattractive and how Edward Cullen spent several months scowling at Bella. However, if you ask any teenage girl which literary hero she’d most like to go on a date with she’s sure to name one of the two. The problem with Patch is, he never really ‘shines’. He’s a manipulative jerk at the start of the novel, shown best in a scene where he taunts Nora in front of their entire biology class, and never stops pushing Nora around. You could argue that Becca Fitzpatrick was trying to make Patch stand out from the crowd of generic male heroes by making him a bit ‘rough around the edges’, but his behavior is so rude and sexist I never lost the urge to beat him across the head, making it impossible to fall for him.

While the romance of the novel was a disappointment, I did enjoy it as a whole. The author clearly has a strong point when it comes to writing suspense- the scenes with the man in the ski mask and when Nora finds out that one of her friends might be a murderer are terrifying, to say the least. And although the pacing was a bit off throughout most of the book (though, I might be biased because this was the section that focuses the most on the romance with Patch), the last hundred pages worked well enough to make me anxious for the sequel Crescendo.

Grade: 2.5/5