Love and forgiveness are what should drive angels' existence, but both can be hard-earned. This story describes the consequences of Elian, a watcher angel, going against the rules (as inhumane as they are), the lessons Elian learns, and what he does next. It is that action which really endeared him to me – no matter the consequences, he goes back to the human lover he was separated from ten years ago. For some beings, love really is eternal. As for the human… Ryan has learned a few hard truths about greed and the uselessness of material possessions as well, and is ready to die. Seems a little too harsh, right? Thank goodness this is a Christmas story with a message of hope!

Elian has made quite a few mistakes in his existence, and getting involved in Ryan's life was one of them. He has atoned for his sins, and I loved that the next thing he does is go right back to Ryan! The threat of yet another punishment doesn’t seem to deter him, but I keenly feared the possibility of him getting caught and reeled in again throughout the story. That would just have been too cruel!

Ryan is at the end of his wits. We don’t get a lot of details but he must have been rich, then lost it all through greed and stupidity – including Elian. And that is his only real regret. When Elian turns up to take him home, he is grateful enough to accept, but hesitant to believe he could get another chance. He was so unassuming, I believed that he'd learned his lesson easily.

The resolution of their issues, when it comes, is truly freeing. Only loosely connected to the Romanorum series (which I have yet to read), this short story about an almost-fallen angel and the human he loves stands well on its own. It also gave me a good taste for what the series is like, and since I love angels and demons, I will certainly go on to read the three books about Cian (who has a short guest appearance here) and Mael, his vampire lover.

If you like angels and the trouble they can get themselves into, if you enjoy reading about men who have suffered and now reap their rewards, and if you're looking for a short, hot read with a message of hope, then you will probably like this short story.
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