Crave by J.R. Ward

In J.R. Ward's Fallen Angels series, newly-made angel Jim Herron is caught in a dark competition against the forces of hell ... "seven souls at a crossroads with a choice that must be made." This time game has brought him to Isaac Rothe, a compatriot from Jim's old life with the covert and elite team of assassins, XOps. When Isaac goes AWOL he faces enemies at every turn, including unearthly demons. His only allies are Jim and Grier Childe, the public defender sworn to keep Isaac out of jail. While Grier fights for Isaac's freedom, Jim fights for his soul until these two battles collide.

I found this to be a big improvement from the first Fallen Angels book, Covet. The main characters were more interesting, the story was more lively, and now I can really see the potential of this series. Yes, it's different from Ward's very popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series, but there are still all the elements that one looks for from this author: a hunky, hyper-masculine hero with carefully buried threads of vulnerability; a strong, realistic heroine who goes after what she wants; sizzling sex appeal; a motley group of side characters; just enough violence to make things interesting; and a larger story arc that unfolds a little more with each book.

Now, I don't think this book can come completely out of the shadow of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, but if you like edgy paranormal romance then you should give this series a try. Absolutely do read Covet first, though; Ward does a great job of refreshing readers' memories, but you'll be better off with some background knowledge.