Review: Familiar Angel by Amy Lane

One hundred and forty years ago, Harry, Edward, and Francis met an angel, a demon, and a sorceress while escaping imprisonment and worse! They emerged with a new family—and shapeshifting powers beyond their wildest dreams.

Now Harry and his brothers use their sorcery to rescue those enslaved in human trafficking—but Harry’s not doing so well. Pining for Suriel the angel has driven Harry to take more and more risks until his family desperately asks Suriel for an intervention.

In order for Suriel to escape the bindings of heaven, he needs to be sure enough of his love to fight to be with Harry. Back when they first met, Harry was feral and angry, and didn’t know enough about love for Suriel to justify that risk. Can Suriel trust in Harry enough now to break his bonds of service for the boy who has loved his Familiar Angel for nearly a century and a half?

Harry and his brothers Edward and Francis were born into poverty and left for the streets. Harry sold his body to feed his brothers, but they all fled once eyes turned to Francis when he was way too young. Rescued by Emma and Leonard, they are bound to them through magic and become cat shifters. As the decades move around them, their mission becomes saving people from sex trafficking.

Suriel is an Angel who has a soft spot for Harry, and over the years their bond grows into romantic feelings. Their roadblock is Suriel is still bound to heaven and his duties there and on earth. Harry wants more than the stolen moments he gets, and expresses this hurt by being more aggressive during his missions to free victims.

This was a good paranormal story. The flow was easy and engaging. The characters were interesting. I enjoyed the cat shifter angle. Even though these men were damaged by their childhood, they have different personalities and a strong emotional bond that helps ground them. I enjoyed reading about their personal mission to save people who are in the same situation they were as children.

I would have liked more time on Harry and Suriel’s relationship because it seemed like there were a lot of moments that created a deeper connection that wasn’t in the story. There was a lot more action than romance, and even though the characters were well fleshed out, the relationship development was lacking. More time was spent on the family dynamic, which I really enjoyed. Not so much on the romance.

Nevertheless I enjoyed this, and read it in one go. Recommended for readers who enjoy character driven stories with a small amount of romance with some steam.

A review copy was provided for an honest opinion.