She finds out by accident, and, as a result, becomes angry at Lincoln for his betrayal. Lincoln hadn’t told Violet they were destined to be angel partners - or that consummating their attraction for one another was forbidden. The ridiculously gorgeous Lincoln had sought her out to complete a partnership deigned by the angels’ ruling body, the Seraphim. Unbeknownst to Violet, her pairing with the self-defense expert with whom she was training, and falling in love, for two years wasn’t accidental. And to do that, she must literally jump off a cliff. She just needs to embrace that destiny to fully realize it. Violet, it soon becomes clear, is an angel of exceptional power. What she didn’t understand was that her mother knew she would die and had prepared a gift and a cryptic, premonitory letter for Violet to open 17 years later, warning her of a “big decision” and encouraging her to “believe in the unbelievable” and “choose with heart.” Violet knew her mom had died during childbirth.

“Embrace” opens on the eve of Violet’s 17th birthday - a bittersweet occasion that overlaps with the anniversary of her mother’s death.

If angels are the new vampires, then “Embrace” is a worthy follow-up to “The Twilight Saga.” The kickoff to a new young adult series from debut author Jessica Shirvington has many of the same strengths - and flaws - as the Stephenie Meyer blockbuster with a heroine who doesn’t understand her own strengths and becomes entangled in a complicated, steamy, love triangle. Sourcebooks Fire: 400 pp., $16.99, ages 12 and up

Embrace book jessica shirvington