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When reading romantic comedy I tend to draw a distinction between that which is silly fun and that which is just plain silly. This book straddles the line between the two as far as I’m concerned. Some of it worked for me, but some of it did not.
If you ever find yourself in Hannah, Alabama, beware because there are demons every-freakin’-where. This hotbed of demon activity has drawn the Dahlvani, ancient warriors charged with expunging this scourge from the planet. Ansgar, resident Dahlvani hottie and fierce demon slayer, met heroine Evie prior to the start of this book. He fell hard, but being of a fierce demon slayer nature, couldn’t allow himself such a mortal weakness as love. So he erased her memories of him and now if she even thinks about that time in her life she becomes sick with headaches and nausea. Not cool, dude.
He couldn’t erase his memories of Evie however and now she needs his help. Meredith, the uber-bitchy wife of her boss, has been murdered and Evie is suspect numero uno. Timid Evie couldn’t have murdered anyone, but a knife bearing the victim’s blood is found in Evie’s car and she is promptly arrested. Ansgar pops in and bails her out of jail, but the mystery remains. Who killed Meredith and why is Evie being framed?
Evie’s best friend Addy and her mate, a Dahlvani named Brand, are determined to help as well. Much to everyone’s chagrin, Meredith reappears as a ghost, but she has developed a case of amnesia regarding her death and has no idea who the real killer could be. As Ansgar and Evie work to try to put the pieces of the puzzle together, they grow closer. But there is major evil afoot in Hannah, and as the pair become closer to one another, the evil draws closer to them.
Let me begin by saying that I really had difficulty getting into this book. The first half or so was slow and the wackiness felt contrived. It felt like the author was trying too hard with the slapstick humor and the whole “demon hunting sex god meets hapless dork” storyline. Ansgar is physical perfection and Evie is the kind of girl who trips over her own feet. But as the story progresses, Evie gains more self-confidence and becomes more of a match for her Dahlvani warrior. The action picks up significantly during the latter part of the book, which I found far more enjoyable and readable than the first half.
The Dahlvani dudes don’t speak in modern English and Ansgar’s stilted dialect drove me completely crazy. Uttering phrases like “They are but pale, thin imitations of womanhood, whilst you are desire itself” made it difficult for me to take him seriously. I found it distracting in the extreme and it diminished my overall enjoyment of the book. To be fair, I have the same problem with Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series, so it could be a personal quirk of mine.
If you don’t mind heroes that speak in an anachronistic manner and wacky humor, you may enjoy the book more than I did. There is a large cast of colorful secondary characters and a pretty funny bit in which the Dahlvani mistake a Chihuahua for a demon. (Don’t worry. The Chihuahua lives to bite another day.)
This is the second book in a series and features characters from the previous book. You do not have to read the previous book to understand this one though Ansgar and Evie’s relationship begins there.
Grade: C+
Book Type: Paranormal Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 02/07/13
Publication Date: 2012/08
I read romance of any sub-genre, but particularly love contemporaries. Well-written stories of any variety interest me though and I'm always on the hunt for my next favorite book. I love smart-mouthed heroines and tortured heroes, unusual time periods and just about anything medieval. On a personal note, I'm a political junkie, Cushing's Disease survivor, mom to 11 rescued dogs and too many cats to actually count.
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.