Review: A Paranormal Romance With Spirit, Style and Wit
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 21, 2014
O.K. , I guess this is technically a paranormal romance, but only in the way that "Moby Dick" is about fishing. This is a top drawer action/mystery/suspense novel with a strong undercurrent of razor sharp humor, clever snappy dialogue, and twisty plotting. Sure, the heroine and the hero team up, and romance blossoms, but this is miles away from sighing, sappy stuff or paranormal romance about tormented werecreatures.The Amazon book site fairly summarizes the plot, but does not do justice to how well the book is written. Our heroine is smart, feisty, and appealing. She's no dope at all, but she's willing to fall for the right guy. Our hero is one of those sexy billionaire types, but not in that hopelessly one-dimensional way that most are presented. That he's hot and he's a billionaire and he's a captain of industry is where the story starts, not where it ends. He's also locked in a duel to the death to save his soul from hellish minions. (That may describe Bill Gates too, but I don't think so. Well, actually, it would explain a lot.)Sometimes books like this go for ditzy, and feature a heroine who bumbles her way through the story. Or you get a sort of "I Love Lucy" slapstick vibe. Or the heroine is so clueless you want to slap her silly. Not here. This is smart stuff. There is a lot of deadpan humor, wry asides and droll observations. There is some low and silly humor, sure, but there is also a lot of subtle and knowing humor. These are developed characters, and even though they have been set in a rollicking paranormal world, they are still modern and fresh. (I'm reminded here of a Cary Grant/Rosalind Russell "His Girl Friday" sort of vibe, but with demons and hell-spawn of course.)So, if you like your action clever and well-plotted, prefer a romance that has some spark to it, and admire confident dry humor and zinger-style dialogue, then this book might be just what you need.Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.