Review: Fun, sexy paranormal addition to series
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 28, 2012
Technically you don't have to read the other books in the series to pick up this book and understand things although the first book does mention a character that has some importance here. You really want to read the three books leading up to this one though, mostly because they're funny, have some great and interesting mythology and are smoking hot.Until her fortuitous second death, Sam Gorasola was the demon familiar to a voodoo nutter named Nettie who wanted to raise a zombie army to take over the world. With a little help from Sam, she was defeated but the unfortunate byproduct was that his familiar contract was bought up by someone even more unpleasant, the ice cold Pricilla, who's kept him in the Demon Detainment Center for the last six months where he's been whipped and tortured, lately to the unholy strains of It's Raining Men by The Weather Girls. Working for Pricilla is as bad as it gets, since she's obsessed with having him collect souls by whatever means, leaving no time at all for any actual life. All work and no play make Sam a very crabby demon, the kind with no conscience - he does however have the need to get stabby with someone, a need thwarted by a white witch with a rescue complex named Marabella.Sam is desperate to break away from Pricilla but the only way is to break the familiar seal and it's never been done. His cousins Nikki and Cass had taken over his bachelor pad while he'd been gone and may have found a way - mind-blowing sexy times with a white witch. But where, oh where will he find one of those who might be interested in him? Looks like Sam will be doing some wooing. Right. Marabella won't know what hit her.Marabella is cute and funny. She thinks there's a curse on her that will keep her a virgin forever and sure enough, all of her dates run out on her when she's not looking. She has no idea what to do with Sam, he's a jerk but he pretty much makes up for it in the bedroom which isn't necessarily a good thing. A demon and a white witch just isn't done and she'll be toast if anyone finds out but now she's in danger and Sam is pretty cute for a demon.Poor Sam has had a rotten life. Bouncing from one horrible master to another, he's never had a say in his own life and he's bitter and unhappy. He's a demon so he's never going to be Mr. Sunshine, but he's really gone to the dark side and become an emotional machine. Being with Bella changes him for a certain reason (it's a spoiler, so my lips have to be sealed!) and he's really not happy about it. I don't really think I saw much of the real Sam until close to the end of the book - not just because of his emotional lockdown necessarily but maybe just because his sections of the story revolved mostly around plot and not his character.Sam's cousins, Cass and Nikki are absolutely wonderful supporting characters - I don't know if I could wish harder that these two get their own books or just appear again in another book. They're funny, smart, funny and cute - did I mention funny? I loved them.Just like in the other books in the series, there's a big important revelation and a satisfyingly sweet romantic ending. This combines all the right paranormal notes, mixes in a little mythology and serves it up on a bed of scorching hot bedroom (and kitchen and living room and storefront) scenes. This also had a lot of fun tossed in, especially with the music references from the beginning scene to Bella and the ABBA she had blasting in her car that Sam hated. I admit I was a little worried at that point - what sort of person/demon doesn't like ABBA??review copy provided by author in exchange for honest review.  :)