Review: Hot Read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 2, 2011
Moira Rogers has created a dark and dangerous world, filled with demons and ruined cities.The demon Armageddon has created chaos in the world. Fifty years later, life is lived in virtual reality, and in underground cities. Summoners, those who aren't quite human, are being blamed for it all still, all these years later. Marci has been hiding in plain sight, a summoner passing as human in Gold Mills. She is a net tech, working in the virtual reality field.The authorities have started a genetic testing lottery, searching for those who may be other than human. When a new face shows up, he focuses on Marci. Gabe is handsome and sexy, and there is a side of him that is drawn to Marci: his demon side. Gabe is a halfblood, part demon, part human, but all male. When the system goes down, Marci and Gabe have only seconds to get to a secure area. When Gabe tells Marci about a place where she can live openly, without fear of discovery, she wants to believe him. But she is also worried that, as part demon, he has tricked her. Gabe is determined to save Marci, from the demons and humanity, but can he earn her trust and love without using his gifts? Can Marci accept Gabe and what he offers? Or will she strike out on her own once she is free?The world for this story is the ruin of Minneapolis, and the underground cities humanity has created to be safe. I love the world, and the characters that inhabit it. There is a sense of urgency and danger around every corner, and the fear of reprisal and attack is very prevalent in this.Marci is a strong and very intelligent woman. She is a summoner, but has been able to stay under the notice of the city authorities so far. But with the new genetic lottery, she realizes it is just a matter of time before her secret is revealed. She is willing to keep the status quo, until Gabe enters her life and turns it all upside down. I like Marci, and her determination to live her life her way once she is offered the opportunity.Gabe is hot and sexy, and definitely nothing that Marci has seen before. He is determined to keep her safe, and not influence her decisions where he is concerned. But he forgets to be completely honest with her, and this could end up working to his disadvantage in the future. I liked Gabe, and his attempts to not use his demon magic to bind Marci to him. He is determined to allow her free will, and the ability to make her own choices, even if they don't include him in her future.This is a very interesting start to Moira Rogers' newest series, and there is a lot of world building in it. I enjoyed meeting the people who inhabit this world, and look forward to meeting more of them as the series progresses. The secondary characters are all well crafted, but Marci and Gabe are the stars in this one. There is a bit of danger, a harrowing escape, and lots of steamy romance in this, and there is a happy ever after for Gabe and Marci after a few tense moments. I recommend this to anyone who likes romance with an edge.Originally posted at The Long and Short of It Romance Reviews