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Demons Unleashed #1
Demons Prefer Blondes
A Bad Day For a Demon...
Rafe Deleon is a senior demon and he resents like hell his assignment to Earth to retreive the Chest of the Damned before it ends up in the wrong hands. But then he meets beautiful, intriguing succubus, Lucy Gregory, and she’s just unleashed a whole load of trouble...
Really Sucks for a Succubus...
Lucy’s chic suburban salon has suddenly become the Underworld’s center of mass chaos and destruction. The only good in a day going rapidly down the tubes is the arrival of a gorgeous demon who’s adamant he can help her...
But Lucy has quite a few deeply unpleasant--not to mention deadly and hateful--surprises ahead of her. Surely there’s never been a worse time to tryout a new boyfriend...
391 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2011
11 people are currently reading
1,086 people want to read
About the author
Sidney Ayers
5Ìýbooks61ÌýfollowersSidney Ayers loves infusing her stories with humor. What would the world be without a little bit of laughter? She writes a plethora of genres, ranging from historical, to paranormal, to contemporary.
A native of Michigan, Sidney still lives in the same town she grew up in. No matter how hard she tries, she just can’t seem to get away. Michigan is in her blood. Scary thought, huh?
A native of Michigan, Sidney still lives in the same town she grew up in. No matter how hard she tries, she just can’t seem to get away. Michigan is in her blood. Scary thought, huh?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
September 12, 2013
Demons Prefer Blondes by Sidney Ayers is the first book in her Demons Unleashed paranormal romance series.
Lucy Gregory is finally living her dream of running her own beauty salon when her friend buys a mysterious antique box. For some reason, Lucy feels drawn to the box, and she manages to open it. What Lucy doesn't realize is that the box is really the Chest of the Damned, that she's a succubus, and that she's just unleashed a whole lot of trouble on her Michigan town. Luckily for her, good guy demon Rafe Deleon is sent to retrieve the chest and keep it out of the hands of a demon who wants to use the chest's power for bad things. Lucy and Rafe are attracted to each other, but someone else has his eye on Lucy -- and he'll do whatever he has to in order to get her ...
I did enjoy the world building in this book and the idea of good demons versus bad demons. Plus, the Michigan setting was a nice change of pace, as was the beauty shop setting.
However, humor is so subjective. Sometimes, it works, and sometimes, it doesn't. Unfortunately, the humor didn't work for me in this book. Ayers definitely tries for a lighter tone. No matter how bad a situation gets, almost all of the characters are always cracking wise and making jokes, especially Lucy. But for me, the book just had too much slapstick comedy, and it seemed like every scene was trying to top the one before.
Plus, it seems like everyone has a secret that he's keeping from everyone else. It was a little confusing trying to keep track of who was who, what their secret was, how it affected everyone else, and what side they were really on.
Overall, this book didn't work for me, but others might like its zany humor.
Lucy Gregory is finally living her dream of running her own beauty salon when her friend buys a mysterious antique box. For some reason, Lucy feels drawn to the box, and she manages to open it. What Lucy doesn't realize is that the box is really the Chest of the Damned, that she's a succubus, and that she's just unleashed a whole lot of trouble on her Michigan town. Luckily for her, good guy demon Rafe Deleon is sent to retrieve the chest and keep it out of the hands of a demon who wants to use the chest's power for bad things. Lucy and Rafe are attracted to each other, but someone else has his eye on Lucy -- and he'll do whatever he has to in order to get her ...
I did enjoy the world building in this book and the idea of good demons versus bad demons. Plus, the Michigan setting was a nice change of pace, as was the beauty shop setting.
However, humor is so subjective. Sometimes, it works, and sometimes, it doesn't. Unfortunately, the humor didn't work for me in this book. Ayers definitely tries for a lighter tone. No matter how bad a situation gets, almost all of the characters are always cracking wise and making jokes, especially Lucy. But for me, the book just had too much slapstick comedy, and it seemed like every scene was trying to top the one before.
Plus, it seems like everyone has a secret that he's keeping from everyone else. It was a little confusing trying to keep track of who was who, what their secret was, how it affected everyone else, and what side they were really on.
Overall, this book didn't work for me, but others might like its zany humor.
September 17, 2011
Ugh, where do I start?
I loved the cover, I loved the tag-line, I loved this incredible idea that....fell flat on its face.
Lucy is a rather successful hair stylist, who is dull, dimwitted and cliche to the ninth degree. She is an over confident idiot with very little personality that uses all the lame lines and insults in the book...no real pun intended. I feel like she is a knockoff of a geeky mean-girl still trying to make her way through junior year. Her friend, who is a supporting but rather absent character, was more interesting and WAY less annoying. Rafe is suppose to be this amazing demon, but is as dull as old whitewash, even in his funny moments. He spends so much time doubting himself and falling all over Lucy that I have a hard time believing he is our hero. The only characters I did like were Squeaky and Frankie and they were only featured for a total of about 30 pages between the two of them!
Gerardo and Frankie are too stereotypical of gay guys for my liking. They're flaky and flamboyant with no real sense of being their own persons.
The writing was choppy. It was also a terrible two-perspective, it jumped all over so much that I had a hard time keeping up with who was the lead and an even hard time keeping up with who was even talking in the scene.
7 Overused Phrases or Overdone Items on Every 2 pages that I NEVER want to hear or see again:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**'Like a WWE Wrestler' - Really? Really. (to quote my favorite WWE wrestler) REALLY? I get it, they are rolling around on the ground, bashing into the crap that clutters your salon, destroying things, pummeling each other, beating the snot out of each other, throwing punches that could rival a kung-fu panda. Anything, ANYTHING except "Like a WWE Wrestler" 10 or 12 times in the same 2 chapters. This is repetitive and obnoxious and a complete waste on anyone who doesn't know what the WWE is.
**'Blood hell' - initially only used by the Paladins and demons but soon used by Lucy as well, on every other page.
**'Very well then' - used by all Paladins and demons at least once, in every conversation
**'Tool' - Lucy calls EVERYONE a tool, like a tool. She's such a twit it's overly irritating
**'Whatever' - Really? You insult a demon and they say "Whatever" and turn the other cheek? To me, this seems like a lack of forethought on the author's part. Instead of coming back with something to keep the story rolling she cops out and leaves us wanting...and feeling about 50 points lower on the IQ scale.
**Tucked a stray hair/Ran a finger through a strand of hair/Ran his/her hands through curls etc, etc - Everyone in this book is CONSTANTLY flipping, moving, smoothing or playing with their hair. I understand that Lucy is a hair stylist, that it is her passion. However, would her hair REALLY be that unruly if #1 she was that great of a stylist and #2 The women constantly fixing their hair are sexubi? Aren't they images of perfection, never a hair out of place or a chipped nail? This makes no sense to me and the fact that I have to read some variation of it every 10 pages sends me over the edge. People just don't fix stray hairs that frequently.
**Enrapturement - In any way shape or form. Everything that everyone in this book feels they either chalk up to being enraptured or fear that it is because they enraputred the other person. Can't people feel things? And why, oh why is everyone full of so much self-doubt? It's depressing.
These are a very small sampling of what I found horrifying about the book. The one saving grace that managed to get this book 2 stars is the fact that it was such a great idea. It had so much potential but it just fell so, so flat. I feel like the author tried to cram too many ideas into one book and had to glue them together with fluff just to get them all in. The worst part is that it isn't even a quick read. It's a whopping 401 pages that you have to force yourself to trudge through. This is one of the longer reads I've had in awhile. A book like this generally only takes me 2-3 days to read, this one stayed in my purse for about 8.
I only recommend this book to people who don't mind flaky and under-thought.
I loved the cover, I loved the tag-line, I loved this incredible idea that....fell flat on its face.
Lucy is a rather successful hair stylist, who is dull, dimwitted and cliche to the ninth degree. She is an over confident idiot with very little personality that uses all the lame lines and insults in the book...no real pun intended. I feel like she is a knockoff of a geeky mean-girl still trying to make her way through junior year. Her friend, who is a supporting but rather absent character, was more interesting and WAY less annoying. Rafe is suppose to be this amazing demon, but is as dull as old whitewash, even in his funny moments. He spends so much time doubting himself and falling all over Lucy that I have a hard time believing he is our hero. The only characters I did like were Squeaky and Frankie and they were only featured for a total of about 30 pages between the two of them!
Gerardo and Frankie are too stereotypical of gay guys for my liking. They're flaky and flamboyant with no real sense of being their own persons.
The writing was choppy. It was also a terrible two-perspective, it jumped all over so much that I had a hard time keeping up with who was the lead and an even hard time keeping up with who was even talking in the scene.
7 Overused Phrases or Overdone Items on Every 2 pages that I NEVER want to hear or see again:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**'Like a WWE Wrestler' - Really? Really. (to quote my favorite WWE wrestler) REALLY? I get it, they are rolling around on the ground, bashing into the crap that clutters your salon, destroying things, pummeling each other, beating the snot out of each other, throwing punches that could rival a kung-fu panda. Anything, ANYTHING except "Like a WWE Wrestler" 10 or 12 times in the same 2 chapters. This is repetitive and obnoxious and a complete waste on anyone who doesn't know what the WWE is.
**'Blood hell' - initially only used by the Paladins and demons but soon used by Lucy as well, on every other page.
**'Very well then' - used by all Paladins and demons at least once, in every conversation
**'Tool' - Lucy calls EVERYONE a tool, like a tool. She's such a twit it's overly irritating
**'Whatever' - Really? You insult a demon and they say "Whatever" and turn the other cheek? To me, this seems like a lack of forethought on the author's part. Instead of coming back with something to keep the story rolling she cops out and leaves us wanting...and feeling about 50 points lower on the IQ scale.
**Tucked a stray hair/Ran a finger through a strand of hair/Ran his/her hands through curls etc, etc - Everyone in this book is CONSTANTLY flipping, moving, smoothing or playing with their hair. I understand that Lucy is a hair stylist, that it is her passion. However, would her hair REALLY be that unruly if #1 she was that great of a stylist and #2 The women constantly fixing their hair are sexubi? Aren't they images of perfection, never a hair out of place or a chipped nail? This makes no sense to me and the fact that I have to read some variation of it every 10 pages sends me over the edge. People just don't fix stray hairs that frequently.
**Enrapturement - In any way shape or form. Everything that everyone in this book feels they either chalk up to being enraptured or fear that it is because they enraputred the other person. Can't people feel things? And why, oh why is everyone full of so much self-doubt? It's depressing.
These are a very small sampling of what I found horrifying about the book. The one saving grace that managed to get this book 2 stars is the fact that it was such a great idea. It had so much potential but it just fell so, so flat. I feel like the author tried to cram too many ideas into one book and had to glue them together with fluff just to get them all in. The worst part is that it isn't even a quick read. It's a whopping 401 pages that you have to force yourself to trudge through. This is one of the longer reads I've had in awhile. A book like this generally only takes me 2-3 days to read, this one stayed in my purse for about 8.
I only recommend this book to people who don't mind flaky and under-thought.
Want to read
November 11, 2010I'm really excited about this book!
May 31, 2011
What a fun book!
A box full of demons is sent to earth and lands in the hands of Lucy’s best friend Serah. Lucy feels its pull and manages to open it. A sexy guy shows up at her hair salon, and that along with the box, leads to her finding out she’s part demon. A succubus no less! Then much fun ensues. And I mean much. Lucy doesn’t know how to dull down her seductive powers at first which makes for one of the funniest scenes! But once she gets that under control, a whole lot happens. It’s hard to get into everything, so I’m not even going to try. But all of it is woven within a sharp humor which brings us back to my first thought of this review � what a fun book.
I can’t say that I was particularly attached to the characters on a super deep level, but I liked them. They offered some giggles and were amusing characters to read. Rafe was yummy. And I found chemistry between Lucy and Rafe to be good. And Lucy’s BFF Serah…I just know there is more to her and I found myself to be very curious about her. I was really intrigued by Domenic and his little side story involving Jacoba. I really hope they get their own book!
There was quite a build up to the ending, and I was happy with how it all turned out. The only thing about it was we know that Lucy’s friends are fighting their own battles but we don’t see much of their brawls. Yes, the bad guy that Lucy and Rafe deal with is the most important one, but I still would have liked to know what went down with the others.
I did wonder whether or not I would enjoy this book for the first forty or so pages (where I found it a tiny bit slow) but soon after, I was caught in. Demons Prefer Blondes was a nice read. I enjoyed the story and the humor. It kept me entertained enough that I am planning on reading the next books in the series. Book two, Demons Like it Hot, is due out December 1st 2011. And it’s Serah’s book. Yay! So all my questions about her are going to be answered. Should be, what else? Fun.
A box full of demons is sent to earth and lands in the hands of Lucy’s best friend Serah. Lucy feels its pull and manages to open it. A sexy guy shows up at her hair salon, and that along with the box, leads to her finding out she’s part demon. A succubus no less! Then much fun ensues. And I mean much. Lucy doesn’t know how to dull down her seductive powers at first which makes for one of the funniest scenes! But once she gets that under control, a whole lot happens. It’s hard to get into everything, so I’m not even going to try. But all of it is woven within a sharp humor which brings us back to my first thought of this review � what a fun book.
I can’t say that I was particularly attached to the characters on a super deep level, but I liked them. They offered some giggles and were amusing characters to read. Rafe was yummy. And I found chemistry between Lucy and Rafe to be good. And Lucy’s BFF Serah…I just know there is more to her and I found myself to be very curious about her. I was really intrigued by Domenic and his little side story involving Jacoba. I really hope they get their own book!
There was quite a build up to the ending, and I was happy with how it all turned out. The only thing about it was we know that Lucy’s friends are fighting their own battles but we don’t see much of their brawls. Yes, the bad guy that Lucy and Rafe deal with is the most important one, but I still would have liked to know what went down with the others.
I did wonder whether or not I would enjoy this book for the first forty or so pages (where I found it a tiny bit slow) but soon after, I was caught in. Demons Prefer Blondes was a nice read. I enjoyed the story and the humor. It kept me entertained enough that I am planning on reading the next books in the series. Book two, Demons Like it Hot, is due out December 1st 2011. And it’s Serah’s book. Yay! So all my questions about her are going to be answered. Should be, what else? Fun.
May 25, 2011
What evil lurks in the hearts of hairdressers around the world? Lucia Gregory knows� but only because she’s just opened a chest full of demons and discovered that she’s a succubus. Now she’s pressed to rein in all that she’s loosed upon the world, not to mention keeping her salon in one piece while doing it.
Lucia Gregory is the kind of heroine you like from the moment you meet her. She’s passionate about what she does, she’s good to her employees, and she seemingly has the patience of a saint. Lucy, as her friends know her, also is very adaptable and goes with the flow, which is handy when you suddenly discover you’re a sex demon. What I like best about her, however, is how she can be completely in awe of her new-found powers one moment and completely at ease with them the next. I think this has a lot to do with her adaptable nature, but it also makes her so much more enjoyable to watch.
Rafael Deleon is pretty much what you’d expect out of a demon. He’s stern, determined, and pretty inflexible on his best days. However, he has a softer side that he keeps well hidden from everyone. Tortured by his past failings, he hides behind his duty to keep him aloof and unattainable. Little did he expect Lucy to find a way to break down those barriers. I love the fact that she is not just able to do that, but that she is willing to keep trying. I also enjoyed the way the author softened him up little by little, making it seem like an honest turn around on Rafe’s part. You can really see their attraction growing and becoming something more.
Demons Prefer Blondes was a surprise in many ways. The author does a fabulous job of giving you not only a unique setting, but a hero and heroine that you won’t soon forget. Not to mention that she manages to make demons both sexy and scary at the same time. Jam packed full of laughs, characters you can’t get enough of, and a steamy-hot romance, Demons Prefer Blondes is a sure hit!
originally posted at
Lucia Gregory is the kind of heroine you like from the moment you meet her. She’s passionate about what she does, she’s good to her employees, and she seemingly has the patience of a saint. Lucy, as her friends know her, also is very adaptable and goes with the flow, which is handy when you suddenly discover you’re a sex demon. What I like best about her, however, is how she can be completely in awe of her new-found powers one moment and completely at ease with them the next. I think this has a lot to do with her adaptable nature, but it also makes her so much more enjoyable to watch.
Rafael Deleon is pretty much what you’d expect out of a demon. He’s stern, determined, and pretty inflexible on his best days. However, he has a softer side that he keeps well hidden from everyone. Tortured by his past failings, he hides behind his duty to keep him aloof and unattainable. Little did he expect Lucy to find a way to break down those barriers. I love the fact that she is not just able to do that, but that she is willing to keep trying. I also enjoyed the way the author softened him up little by little, making it seem like an honest turn around on Rafe’s part. You can really see their attraction growing and becoming something more.
Demons Prefer Blondes was a surprise in many ways. The author does a fabulous job of giving you not only a unique setting, but a hero and heroine that you won’t soon forget. Not to mention that she manages to make demons both sexy and scary at the same time. Jam packed full of laughs, characters you can’t get enough of, and a steamy-hot romance, Demons Prefer Blondes is a sure hit!
originally posted at
April 21, 2011
First off I received a sign copy of Demon Prefer Blondes which is cool.
I highly recommend this book. At first I was a little worried because most romance books are a little cheesy, but not this book.
It is original with the characters which is nice. Right now vampire romance novels are being beaten to death it is nice that this book went a different way. I must say yummy. Everyone loves a bad boy and most women have a little demon in them. I love that she made the main character Lucy intelligent and strong willed.
This is the first book I have read by Sidney Ayers and I will be on the search for more books by her.
I highly recommend this book. At first I was a little worried because most romance books are a little cheesy, but not this book.
It is original with the characters which is nice. Right now vampire romance novels are being beaten to death it is nice that this book went a different way. I must say yummy. Everyone loves a bad boy and most women have a little demon in them. I love that she made the main character Lucy intelligent and strong willed.
This is the first book I have read by Sidney Ayers and I will be on the search for more books by her.
December 8, 2011
The humour in this book is off the charts and Rafe is one sexy, hot demon. I appreciated the sexual tension in this book, because lets face it, when a couple fall into bed within 10 pages of the book, what else do you have to look forward too?! LOL. I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
May 25, 2012
I only made it about 30 pages in before giving this one up. The setting in the beauty shop drove me nuts, along with the two stereo-typical gay men that were Lucy's co-workers. Her friend Serah wasn't much better. When the hero entered I had hoped things would get better for me, but things just continued in the same farce. This one just wasn't for me.
September 21, 2014
Lucy and Rafe are such a fun couple. So yeah Lucy owns a salon but the whole story isn't about that, thank goodness. Lucy is a demon. A special kinda demon. This story was am easy read. There were many times where I was laughing at some of the things that Lucy said or thought. While Lucy is sarcastic and just plain funny, Rafe was so serious. He tried a time or two to make a joke and he fails. Poor guy.
So the whole story is about Lucy and her friend Serah opening this chest . Yeah they don't know what they are doing but they are curious as to whats inside and Lucy can read the words that are carved on the box. Rafe is there to try and stop them. When he meets Lucy he knows there is something more to her and surprise , surprise shes a demon... Lucy was such a fun character to read. I think she balanced Rafe's serious side perfectly. Apparently there are demons, angels and mortal Oh my!
Lots and lots of sexual chemistry and tension. Some action. Nothing serious that's for sure. This is more of a light book. But what a fun read. I was left wondering what about Rafe's sister Coby? What happened to Dominic? But apparently with those questions the next book is about Lucy's BFF Serah. Ummm okkkkk... And who in the heck is they hero for her? Ohhhhhh and Squeaky... what the heck is up with him? They never told us more.You get enough to be curious , then Nada. ugh..... But I think I know , maybe.... Which leads to Serah.....I guess I will have to wait to read Serah's book to see if I am right. IDK but he was fun to read about as well. I hope Gerard and Frankie are in there as well.
So the whole story is about Lucy and her friend Serah opening this chest . Yeah they don't know what they are doing but they are curious as to whats inside and Lucy can read the words that are carved on the box. Rafe is there to try and stop them. When he meets Lucy he knows there is something more to her and surprise , surprise shes a demon... Lucy was such a fun character to read. I think she balanced Rafe's serious side perfectly. Apparently there are demons, angels and mortal Oh my!
Lots and lots of sexual chemistry and tension. Some action. Nothing serious that's for sure. This is more of a light book. But what a fun read. I was left wondering what about Rafe's sister Coby? What happened to Dominic? But apparently with those questions the next book is about Lucy's BFF Serah. Ummm okkkkk... And who in the heck is they hero for her? Ohhhhhh and Squeaky... what the heck is up with him? They never told us more.You get enough to be curious , then Nada. ugh..... But I think I know , maybe.... Which leads to Serah.....I guess I will have to wait to read Serah's book to see if I am right. IDK but he was fun to read about as well. I hope Gerard and Frankie are in there as well.
June 2, 2011
When the book starts we do not know that Lucy is a succubus. Nope she owns a beauty salon. She is single, she has good friends and one of them has just brought a strange box to her. Let the fun begin. This is where the demons step in and they are not your usual kind of demons. There are the wicked evil ones and then there are those blessed by angels and they actually fight for good. That was different.
Lucy was fun and she could hold her own, quite the tongue on her. Her two employees are fun, cheeky devils. Her best friend is interesting (and getting the next book), the chimp that shows up was fun (yes I said chimp, it was an imp as a chimp). And I am not forgetting the hero, Rafe, a demon sent to get the box back. He is one of the good guys and he is slowly falling for her. The guy has some issues, mostly since he wants to save her sister and since he does not want to get involved with anyone. There you have it, a great cast of characters.
The story is about the chest since the bad guys want it, but it is also about Lucy finding out what she truly is (while having a hot fling with a handsome demon).
But the thing I liked best (well not counting the fun characters) was the humour in the book. Even if it looked really bad Lucy still had funny remarks. Perhaps a survival instinct but it was fun.
Conclusion:
This was a light paranormal with humour sprinkled on top. It was a quick read.
Lucy was fun and she could hold her own, quite the tongue on her. Her two employees are fun, cheeky devils. Her best friend is interesting (and getting the next book), the chimp that shows up was fun (yes I said chimp, it was an imp as a chimp). And I am not forgetting the hero, Rafe, a demon sent to get the box back. He is one of the good guys and he is slowly falling for her. The guy has some issues, mostly since he wants to save her sister and since he does not want to get involved with anyone. There you have it, a great cast of characters.
The story is about the chest since the bad guys want it, but it is also about Lucy finding out what she truly is (while having a hot fling with a handsome demon).
But the thing I liked best (well not counting the fun characters) was the humour in the book. Even if it looked really bad Lucy still had funny remarks. Perhaps a survival instinct but it was fun.
Conclusion:
This was a light paranormal with humour sprinkled on top. It was a quick read.
June 15, 2011
When the Infernati attack, Rafe’s sister sending a special chest to Earth. Now it is up to Rafe to retrieve the chest before the Infernati find it and use it to control Earth. Rafe does not like Earth. Hopefully, he can find the chest and get back as soon as possible. One thing that Rafe did not count on was meeting Lucy.
Lucy’s friend, Serah brings a chest for Lucy to interpret. It is locked but there is writing on the chest. It is written in Latin. The writing mentions that only by the blood of a demon can the chest be opened and with the opening of the chest will arise a horde of demons. Shortly afterwards, Lucy meets Rafe. This is when the sparks fly.
If you are looking for something deliciously, tempting to read this summer, than you should pick up a copy of Demons Prefer Blondes. Though, I would rather the book be called…Demons Prefer Brunettes. Rafe is one sexy demon. He is eye candy. I have not met a hotter demon/succubus couple than Rafe and Lucy. One thing thought that I would have liked to see was the chemistry build up first between Rafe and Lucy. Right away, Rafe and Lucy were all over each other. Also, if I had to classify this book, I would call it more on the urban fantasy side than paranormal. It was a bit darker but not as dark as some urban fantasy novels.
Lucy’s friend, Serah brings a chest for Lucy to interpret. It is locked but there is writing on the chest. It is written in Latin. The writing mentions that only by the blood of a demon can the chest be opened and with the opening of the chest will arise a horde of demons. Shortly afterwards, Lucy meets Rafe. This is when the sparks fly.
If you are looking for something deliciously, tempting to read this summer, than you should pick up a copy of Demons Prefer Blondes. Though, I would rather the book be called…Demons Prefer Brunettes. Rafe is one sexy demon. He is eye candy. I have not met a hotter demon/succubus couple than Rafe and Lucy. One thing thought that I would have liked to see was the chemistry build up first between Rafe and Lucy. Right away, Rafe and Lucy were all over each other. Also, if I had to classify this book, I would call it more on the urban fantasy side than paranormal. It was a bit darker but not as dark as some urban fantasy novels.
February 20, 2015
I'm about seven chapters into this book as I'm writing this and I just am not sure at this point if I'm going to finish it. I love the plot idea. I COULD easily love Rafe and Lucy - I really, really want to - but I am not a fan of Ms. Ayers's writing style. At this point pretty much every character seems one-dimensional. Don't get me wrong - there is some serious potential here for a fun story, but it's like the author is spending too much time trying to be "funny" using bad cliches and cardboard dialogue. Additionally, there have been numerous times when the author mentions a reaction to something that she has not done a good enough job explaining for me to understand why the reaction is appropriate.
I'm going to give this another chapter because it really does have potential to be a fun read, but if things don't improve, I don't think I'll have any problem putting this book down.
I'm going to give this another chapter because it really does have potential to be a fun read, but if things don't improve, I don't think I'll have any problem putting this book down.
December 16, 2011
So disappointed. I wanted to like this book. I loved the cover. That's about it.
I love snarky humor, but this was more 7th grade humor than snarky. The heroine was an idiot, and apparently every other character in the book thought so too, because nobody was jumping in to tell her what was going on. The Hero whined too much. I like my heros to be a little more alpha, and this one was just..... I don't know. He had zero self esteem, and seemed to stand behind the women a lot.
I really didn't the author's writing style at all. Maybe it was just me, but she seemed too hard to follow. I just couldn't get into it at all. The only reason I got this book was because I had the second one, and I don't like reading them out of order. Don't know that I will even try the second one now. I stopped reading this one with about 80 pages left.
I love snarky humor, but this was more 7th grade humor than snarky. The heroine was an idiot, and apparently every other character in the book thought so too, because nobody was jumping in to tell her what was going on. The Hero whined too much. I like my heros to be a little more alpha, and this one was just..... I don't know. He had zero self esteem, and seemed to stand behind the women a lot.
I really didn't the author's writing style at all. Maybe it was just me, but she seemed too hard to follow. I just couldn't get into it at all. The only reason I got this book was because I had the second one, and I don't like reading them out of order. Don't know that I will even try the second one now. I stopped reading this one with about 80 pages left.
June 13, 2011
Rafe is sent to earth to recover a chest containing demons that is in the possession of Lucia and her BFF Serah. Lucia opens the chest and unleashes not only demons but unleashes her own demon powers. Unbeknownst to Lucy she is part succubus.
The characters seemed to be lite with not much depth. A vast majority of the book was meant to be humorous but fell a bit short in parts. Although Lucy and Rafe constantly expressed how attracted they were to one another, it wasn't all that developed.
I didn't make any kind of connections with any of the characters. Lucy came across as a bit immature at times which added to my disinterest in the storyline.
The characters seemed to be lite with not much depth. A vast majority of the book was meant to be humorous but fell a bit short in parts. Although Lucy and Rafe constantly expressed how attracted they were to one another, it wasn't all that developed.
I didn't make any kind of connections with any of the characters. Lucy came across as a bit immature at times which added to my disinterest in the storyline.
Read
June 13, 2011I'm not even sure why I picked this up. The writing style is too juvenile for my taste.
December 3, 2023
Demons Prefer Blondes, the first novel in theÌýDemons UnleashedÌýseries by Sidney Ayers, is everything you’d expect about a novel centered around a beauty salon. Its fun, witty and a very girly read filled with fashion and demons. What more could a girl want, right? Well, how about an ancient chest filled with demons which brings out a sexy Paladin to find it before it gets opened located smack dab in the middle of Lucy Gregory’s shop. A great romantic read that is light and fun and sort of reminiscent of the 80’S romantic comedy ‘Earth Girls are Easyâ€� only without the colorful aliens and musical numbers!
From the beginning I definitely liked Ayer’s world building. There’s a very light hearted atmosphere despite the obvious weight of the subject matter. While the sense of immediacy is nice, I found it often off set by the witty characters and the sassy heroine. It was definitely nice seeing a fully dimensional story still maintain an easy going appeal. It was very unusual as was the setting making for a wonderful tale aimed directly at lovers of chick lit. I even hate to say it because I know people won’t think it’s the compliment that it is, but it reminds me of the 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo centering around a Daphne like character. That’s the sort of atmosphere that Ayer’s created and I really loved it!
The characters are also a wide range of personalities offering characters capable of being serious and those of offering comic relief. Lucy, while being a very approachable character for readers as she struggles to keep her business in the black with a wonderful sense of independence, had a great spunkiness that was wonderful to see develop. She’s sassy, passionate and above all else, a very caring and loyal individual. She treats her friends and employees with great respect and admiration that I really found quite endearing. But, it was also her easy going nature that made me respect her. She doesn’t fight against what she considers to be unfair or impossible, instead she goes with it, embracing those things about herself that defy definition and sanity. But, if Lucy is all things light, then Rafael is all things dark and serious. He’s imposing and has a presence that is very dominating and intimidating. The air of power about him is obvious and a great contrast to Lucy and her Scooby gang. This creates and interesting dynamic in their relationship that was wonderful, sort of like oil and water, but somehow it really works creating a very passionate and tense romance. Also, I feel that I have to mention the secondary characters which were pure fun! From Lucy’s wacky employees, to her amusing friend, to the long list of characters who pop in and out throughout the story, all of them definitely offer something to the story one way or another that I truly enjoyed.
The writing was exceptionally well done, creating a fun yet wonderfully written story that managed to be light and airy without being too silly. In fact, there was a perfect balance of inane witticism, action and romance that kept the story shy of being completely vapid. Instead, this novel was simply put, fun. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer I believe will really enjoy this novel as it has that same feeling of fun and action that is enthralling as it manages to be at times quite serious and dramatic as well as being light hearted and amusing.
In the end, this novel was a joy to read with a great cast of characters and an interesting plot that I had a lot of fun reading. To be honest, it was something of a surprise as I was expecting the story to not be quite as well rounded as it was. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself reading at every chance that I could just to delve back into this amusing and lush world. Can’t wait for the next installment,ÌýDemons like it Hot, due out in December!
From the beginning I definitely liked Ayer’s world building. There’s a very light hearted atmosphere despite the obvious weight of the subject matter. While the sense of immediacy is nice, I found it often off set by the witty characters and the sassy heroine. It was definitely nice seeing a fully dimensional story still maintain an easy going appeal. It was very unusual as was the setting making for a wonderful tale aimed directly at lovers of chick lit. I even hate to say it because I know people won’t think it’s the compliment that it is, but it reminds me of the 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo centering around a Daphne like character. That’s the sort of atmosphere that Ayer’s created and I really loved it!
The characters are also a wide range of personalities offering characters capable of being serious and those of offering comic relief. Lucy, while being a very approachable character for readers as she struggles to keep her business in the black with a wonderful sense of independence, had a great spunkiness that was wonderful to see develop. She’s sassy, passionate and above all else, a very caring and loyal individual. She treats her friends and employees with great respect and admiration that I really found quite endearing. But, it was also her easy going nature that made me respect her. She doesn’t fight against what she considers to be unfair or impossible, instead she goes with it, embracing those things about herself that defy definition and sanity. But, if Lucy is all things light, then Rafael is all things dark and serious. He’s imposing and has a presence that is very dominating and intimidating. The air of power about him is obvious and a great contrast to Lucy and her Scooby gang. This creates and interesting dynamic in their relationship that was wonderful, sort of like oil and water, but somehow it really works creating a very passionate and tense romance. Also, I feel that I have to mention the secondary characters which were pure fun! From Lucy’s wacky employees, to her amusing friend, to the long list of characters who pop in and out throughout the story, all of them definitely offer something to the story one way or another that I truly enjoyed.
The writing was exceptionally well done, creating a fun yet wonderfully written story that managed to be light and airy without being too silly. In fact, there was a perfect balance of inane witticism, action and romance that kept the story shy of being completely vapid. Instead, this novel was simply put, fun. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer I believe will really enjoy this novel as it has that same feeling of fun and action that is enthralling as it manages to be at times quite serious and dramatic as well as being light hearted and amusing.
In the end, this novel was a joy to read with a great cast of characters and an interesting plot that I had a lot of fun reading. To be honest, it was something of a surprise as I was expecting the story to not be quite as well rounded as it was. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself reading at every chance that I could just to delve back into this amusing and lush world. Can’t wait for the next installment,ÌýDemons like it Hot, due out in December!
November 22, 2021
Picking from my massive to be read pile (TPR), this book moves up. When I first added this to my bookshelf 10 years ago, this book blurb reminded me of a mix between Georgina Kincaid series by Richelle Mead and the Caruthers Sisters by Candace Havens. Unfortunately, as nice as this cover is and as amusing as the title is, this book isn't anything like either series mentioned above. I am a bit disappointed with this book because several of my friends rated it high. Perhaps if I had read this book back in 2011, it would have done better.
To read the rest of my review, click on the image below to see it on my website.
To read the rest of my review, click on the image below to see it on my website.
February 14, 2012
Demons Might - I Didn't
Hairstylist and beauty shop owner Lucia Gregory should have known better when her best friend Serah showed up toting the antique chest she'd gotten for a steal. The fact that she bought it isn't what bothers Lucy. That's what Serah does. She buys things. Lots of things. In this case, however, it's a creepy chest that gives her a zap when she touches it, and the Latin scrawled across the top is not exactly chock full of warm fuzzies.
More like dire warnings about grim things that Lucy doesn't believe in. Still, it gives her a chill.
That should have been enough to keep her from going anywhere near it, but Serah wanted a full translation and she wanted to see what was inside it. And Serah can be very convincing.
Rafael Deleon has kept himself away from the realm of Earth, choosing instead the solace of Limbo after his last debacle with the fairer sex a couple of hundred years ago. He's given little choice by the council of Fore-Demons, though, when they find out the Arca Inferorum, the chest that keeps contained some of creation's worst demons, is no longer being protected and has popped up on Earth. Rafe is tasked to recover it before it can be opened, despite his misgivings about returning to the mortal plane.
Tracking it to the beauty parlor only leads to frustration. The chest is gone, but he meets the owner, Lucy Gregory, an appealing ball of attitude and latent demon power. Not even close to what he was expecting. Still, maybe he shouldn't have let her out of his sight once he'd sensed her, even after she told him to leave her business.
Before Rafe can follow the chest's trail, Serah has convinced Lucy to finish the Latin translation and see if they can open it. Lucy had no idea her unique heritage would allow her to flip the lid on that bad boy during the night of the lunar eclipse. And she couldn't have even dreamed the results would be so catastrophic. When Rafe shows back up at her business as the place is getting mystically trashed, spouting off about some sort of woo-woo stuff the chest can do, Lucy ignores him. Until he tells her she's half-succubus. And that she just released a bunch of nasty demons on earth, destroying her precious beauty shop in the process.
She's finding it pretty darned hard to ignore all of that.
~*~
Lighter-toned paranormal romance and urban fantasy tends to be hit or miss for me, but when I like them, I like them very much. When I don't...I don't. This one didn't work for me on any level.
I found the narrative excessively wordy, the dialogue overly emphatic (so many exclamation points!), the plot lacking in focus, and the characters tedious. The first half of the book did little to flesh out the world, explain the created mythos, or progress the plotline. It focused almost exclusively on how sexy Rafe is, how much Lucy wants him, and how confused Rafe is over his desire for Lucy. Not much else.
A heavy dose of relentless editing could have streamlined the book and improved the flow of the story tremendously, but as is, the book meanders aimlessly and loses all sense of urgency, even in extremely urgent situations. Someone at risk of being killed? Characters stand on the stairs wrapped in a lengthy discussion about racing in and saving the day instead of...you know...actually racing in and saving the day. Someone kidnapped? Characters stand around looking for information on the Big Bad's motives for the kidnapping instead of...you know...actually going after the kidnapped character.
That sort of stuff drives me a little nuts.
Sudden shifts in characters' emotions with no supporting setup, story development, or explanation were also common. Rafe is offended and annoyed by Squeaky at first, then suddenly decides he likes the little guy, that Squeaky has "whittled his way in." I'm not sure how that happened, considering their starting point and the fact they spent no time together in the interim. I'm no clearer on how Squeaky, who started out noticeably afraid of Serah, suddenly turns into her popcorn-munching movie buddy and her new BFF. The initial fear was given no more explanation than the abrupt change of heart. It's not even noticed.
And Rafe is a crier. Crying heroes are not sexy.
Other stuff in the story just flat out didn't make sense to me. Developments, storyline, motivations, actions. There were times when I simply didn't understand what I was being told or where the story was trying to go. A preponderance of unanswered questions posed more problems, especially about Lucy being half succubus. Her need to feed on human males through sex was brought up often originally...then completely dropped from the story. Does she need to feed or not? On humans or not? What's her deal? So many unanswered questions.
I stuck it out, read through to the end, and kept hoping something would come together for me in the book. That some aspect of it would click for me. I ended up disappointed. I can't say I was terribly surprised. Like I said, I know that series such as this, with lighter, more comedic elements, don't always go over well with me. It was just bad fortune that more than just the lighter elements fell short for me. Everything else did too. Unfortunately, I just don't think this series is for me.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for .
Hairstylist and beauty shop owner Lucia Gregory should have known better when her best friend Serah showed up toting the antique chest she'd gotten for a steal. The fact that she bought it isn't what bothers Lucy. That's what Serah does. She buys things. Lots of things. In this case, however, it's a creepy chest that gives her a zap when she touches it, and the Latin scrawled across the top is not exactly chock full of warm fuzzies.
More like dire warnings about grim things that Lucy doesn't believe in. Still, it gives her a chill.
That should have been enough to keep her from going anywhere near it, but Serah wanted a full translation and she wanted to see what was inside it. And Serah can be very convincing.
Rafael Deleon has kept himself away from the realm of Earth, choosing instead the solace of Limbo after his last debacle with the fairer sex a couple of hundred years ago. He's given little choice by the council of Fore-Demons, though, when they find out the Arca Inferorum, the chest that keeps contained some of creation's worst demons, is no longer being protected and has popped up on Earth. Rafe is tasked to recover it before it can be opened, despite his misgivings about returning to the mortal plane.
Tracking it to the beauty parlor only leads to frustration. The chest is gone, but he meets the owner, Lucy Gregory, an appealing ball of attitude and latent demon power. Not even close to what he was expecting. Still, maybe he shouldn't have let her out of his sight once he'd sensed her, even after she told him to leave her business.
Before Rafe can follow the chest's trail, Serah has convinced Lucy to finish the Latin translation and see if they can open it. Lucy had no idea her unique heritage would allow her to flip the lid on that bad boy during the night of the lunar eclipse. And she couldn't have even dreamed the results would be so catastrophic. When Rafe shows back up at her business as the place is getting mystically trashed, spouting off about some sort of woo-woo stuff the chest can do, Lucy ignores him. Until he tells her she's half-succubus. And that she just released a bunch of nasty demons on earth, destroying her precious beauty shop in the process.
She's finding it pretty darned hard to ignore all of that.
~*~
Lighter-toned paranormal romance and urban fantasy tends to be hit or miss for me, but when I like them, I like them very much. When I don't...I don't. This one didn't work for me on any level.
I found the narrative excessively wordy, the dialogue overly emphatic (so many exclamation points!), the plot lacking in focus, and the characters tedious. The first half of the book did little to flesh out the world, explain the created mythos, or progress the plotline. It focused almost exclusively on how sexy Rafe is, how much Lucy wants him, and how confused Rafe is over his desire for Lucy. Not much else.
A heavy dose of relentless editing could have streamlined the book and improved the flow of the story tremendously, but as is, the book meanders aimlessly and loses all sense of urgency, even in extremely urgent situations. Someone at risk of being killed? Characters stand on the stairs wrapped in a lengthy discussion about racing in and saving the day instead of...you know...actually racing in and saving the day. Someone kidnapped? Characters stand around looking for information on the Big Bad's motives for the kidnapping instead of...you know...actually going after the kidnapped character.
That sort of stuff drives me a little nuts.
Sudden shifts in characters' emotions with no supporting setup, story development, or explanation were also common. Rafe is offended and annoyed by Squeaky at first, then suddenly decides he likes the little guy, that Squeaky has "whittled his way in." I'm not sure how that happened, considering their starting point and the fact they spent no time together in the interim. I'm no clearer on how Squeaky, who started out noticeably afraid of Serah, suddenly turns into her popcorn-munching movie buddy and her new BFF. The initial fear was given no more explanation than the abrupt change of heart. It's not even noticed.
And Rafe is a crier. Crying heroes are not sexy.
Other stuff in the story just flat out didn't make sense to me. Developments, storyline, motivations, actions. There were times when I simply didn't understand what I was being told or where the story was trying to go. A preponderance of unanswered questions posed more problems, especially about Lucy being half succubus. Her need to feed on human males through sex was brought up often originally...then completely dropped from the story. Does she need to feed or not? On humans or not? What's her deal? So many unanswered questions.
I stuck it out, read through to the end, and kept hoping something would come together for me in the book. That some aspect of it would click for me. I ended up disappointed. I can't say I was terribly surprised. Like I said, I know that series such as this, with lighter, more comedic elements, don't always go over well with me. It was just bad fortune that more than just the lighter elements fell short for me. Everything else did too. Unfortunately, I just don't think this series is for me.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for .
August 25, 2021
In all fairness I DNF because Lucy's sarcasm got on my nerves. It sometines had wit (in the restaurant with her mom), which I'm all for but most of the time it was lame and immature. The character was just trying too hard. When she called Rafael "Rafe-poo" I gave up. 🙄
June 13, 2011
Review provided by :
Demons Prefer Blondes, the first novel in the Demons Unleashed series by Sidney Ayers, is everything you’d expect about a novel centered around a beauty salon. Its fun, witty and a very girly read filled with fashion and demons. What more could a girl want, right? Well, how about an ancient chest filled with demons which brings out a sexy Paladin to find it before it gets opened located smack dab in the middle of Lucy Gregory’s shop. A great romantic read that is light and fun and sort of reminiscent of the 80’S romantic comedy ‘Earth Girls are Easy� only without the colorful aliens and musical numbers!
From the beginning I definitely liked Ayer’s world building. There’s a very light hearted atmosphere despite the obvious weight of the subject matter. While the sense of immediacy is nice, I found it often off set by the witty characters and the sassy heroine. It was definitely nice seeing a fully dimensional story still maintain an easy going appeal. It was very unusual as was the setting making for a wonderful tale aimed directly at lovers of chick lit. I even hate to say it because I know people won’t think it’s the compliment that it is, but it reminds me of the 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo centering around a Daphne like character. That’s the sort of atmosphere that Ayer’s created and I really loved it!
The characters are also a wide range of personalities offering characters capable of being serious and those of offering comic relief. Lucy, while being a very approachable character for readers as she struggles to keep her business in the black with a wonderful sense of independence, had a great spunkiness that was wonderful to see develop. She’s sassy, passionate and above all else, a very caring and loyal individual. She treats her friends and employees with great respect and admiration that I really found quite endearing. But, it was also her easy going nature that made me respect her. She doesn’t fight against what she considers to be unfair or impossible, instead she goes with it, embracing those things about herself that defy definition and sanity. But, if Lucy is all things light, then Rafael is all things dark and serious. He’s imposing and has a prescence that is very dominating and intimidating. The air of power about him is obvious and a great contrast to Lucy and her Scooby gang. This creates and interesting dynamic in their relationship that was wonderful, sort of like oil and water, but somehow it really works creating a very passionate and tense romance. Also, I feel that I have to mention the secondary characters which were pure fun! From Lucy’s wacky employees, to her amusing friend, to the long list of characters who pop in and out throughout the story, all of them definitely offer something to the story one way or another that I truly enjoyed.
The writing was exceptionally well done, creating a fun yet wonderfully written story that managed to be light and airy without being too silly. In fact, there was a perfect balance of inane witticism, action and romance that kept the story shy of being completely vapid. Instead, this novel was simply put, fun. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer I believe will really enjoy this novel as it has that same feeling of fun and action that is enthralling as it manages to be at times quite serious and dramatic as well as being light hearted and amusing.
In the end, this novel was a joy to read with a great cast of characters and an interesting plot that I had a lot of fun reading. To be honest, it was something of a surprise as I was expecting the story to not be quite as well rounded as it was. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself reading at every chance that I could just to delve back into this amusing and lush world. Can’t wait for the next installment, Demons like it Hot, due out in December!
Demons Prefer Blondes, the first novel in the Demons Unleashed series by Sidney Ayers, is everything you’d expect about a novel centered around a beauty salon. Its fun, witty and a very girly read filled with fashion and demons. What more could a girl want, right? Well, how about an ancient chest filled with demons which brings out a sexy Paladin to find it before it gets opened located smack dab in the middle of Lucy Gregory’s shop. A great romantic read that is light and fun and sort of reminiscent of the 80’S romantic comedy ‘Earth Girls are Easy� only without the colorful aliens and musical numbers!
From the beginning I definitely liked Ayer’s world building. There’s a very light hearted atmosphere despite the obvious weight of the subject matter. While the sense of immediacy is nice, I found it often off set by the witty characters and the sassy heroine. It was definitely nice seeing a fully dimensional story still maintain an easy going appeal. It was very unusual as was the setting making for a wonderful tale aimed directly at lovers of chick lit. I even hate to say it because I know people won’t think it’s the compliment that it is, but it reminds me of the 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo centering around a Daphne like character. That’s the sort of atmosphere that Ayer’s created and I really loved it!
The characters are also a wide range of personalities offering characters capable of being serious and those of offering comic relief. Lucy, while being a very approachable character for readers as she struggles to keep her business in the black with a wonderful sense of independence, had a great spunkiness that was wonderful to see develop. She’s sassy, passionate and above all else, a very caring and loyal individual. She treats her friends and employees with great respect and admiration that I really found quite endearing. But, it was also her easy going nature that made me respect her. She doesn’t fight against what she considers to be unfair or impossible, instead she goes with it, embracing those things about herself that defy definition and sanity. But, if Lucy is all things light, then Rafael is all things dark and serious. He’s imposing and has a prescence that is very dominating and intimidating. The air of power about him is obvious and a great contrast to Lucy and her Scooby gang. This creates and interesting dynamic in their relationship that was wonderful, sort of like oil and water, but somehow it really works creating a very passionate and tense romance. Also, I feel that I have to mention the secondary characters which were pure fun! From Lucy’s wacky employees, to her amusing friend, to the long list of characters who pop in and out throughout the story, all of them definitely offer something to the story one way or another that I truly enjoyed.
The writing was exceptionally well done, creating a fun yet wonderfully written story that managed to be light and airy without being too silly. In fact, there was a perfect balance of inane witticism, action and romance that kept the story shy of being completely vapid. Instead, this novel was simply put, fun. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer I believe will really enjoy this novel as it has that same feeling of fun and action that is enthralling as it manages to be at times quite serious and dramatic as well as being light hearted and amusing.
In the end, this novel was a joy to read with a great cast of characters and an interesting plot that I had a lot of fun reading. To be honest, it was something of a surprise as I was expecting the story to not be quite as well rounded as it was. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself reading at every chance that I could just to delve back into this amusing and lush world. Can’t wait for the next installment, Demons like it Hot, due out in December!
January 31, 2012
I really wanted to like this book. I'm all for my fellow Michigan writers and PNR, plus a free book is always a bonus. But sadly I ended up with a list of dislikes that was much longer than the likes for this story. The plot had great potential, some of the characters were really fun, and I really hoped that things would turn around but sadly they did not. In fact by the time I was about 60% done with the book I considered not finishing it because I was so annoyed. It really takes a lot to get me to stop reading a book but I was so so close.
First of all it felt like no one bothered to edit this. Apparently Sourcebooks is really great at creating awesome covers and promoting books but doesn’t spend much time editing what they publish. The dialogue was hard to follow because there weren't many indicators of who was speaking. Then there were things like this, Taking her hands in hers, she smiled. Who did what?! Several times I would have to flip back a page and reread parts because I couldn’t understand what was going on or who was being described. For example when a character is being possessed by another character you can NOT call the character by both names!
Secondly there was the lingo. I'm sorry, but I've lived in Michigan for 35 years and don't know anyone who speaks like the people in this book. I think it was a case of trying to add too much snark in for the characters, it ended up being overload instead of funny. Teenagers don’t even throw in as many catch phrases into their conversations as these people did.
Third, stereotypes. Could the two gay hairstylists be more flamboyant? The portrayal of these men bordered on offensive it was so stereotypical. Then all of a sudden when a secret comes out about one of the guys he totally switches into a different dialect and no longer acts like he did through 80% of the book. Not cool.
Fourth, it's a book about a succubus with ONE sex scene in it. Lucy could have been a totally different type of demon and it wouldn't have mattered. The sex wasn't even hot. It took so long and was so over worded that I kept getting lost and couldn't figure out what was happening. The few kisses before the sex rolled along was sexier than the entire sex scene was.
Fifth, repeating the same thing over and over and over again. If I had to read one more time that Rafe's silver eyes were swirling and that his jaw was tight I was going to scream. Either find another way to describe it, something else to describe, or leave it out. No one wants to read the same description in practically every scene. Oh and apparently everyone in this book has hair that falls in their face and needs to be pushed away or tucked away multiple times in multiple scenes.
Sixth, too many people with the same first initials. Scenes where all of the characters names start with the same letter are too confusing, plain and simple.
Seventh, plot holes. Where the hell did the King disappear to? Two scenes and suddenly he’s no longer part of the story? It didn’t make sense at all. Then there’s the fact that there’s all of these people watching over Lucy and yet none of them stepped in until after she opened the chest and Rafe was sent to Earth? So what exactly was their purpose then? Then there’s the whole, “training� session. Lucy’s never fought with a weapon in her life and then after one mini session of swordplay with Rafe he feels like he can leave her alone because she’s had “some training.� Really?
Like I said, I really wanted this book to work and wanted to like it but I just couldn’t.
First of all it felt like no one bothered to edit this. Apparently Sourcebooks is really great at creating awesome covers and promoting books but doesn’t spend much time editing what they publish. The dialogue was hard to follow because there weren't many indicators of who was speaking. Then there were things like this, Taking her hands in hers, she smiled. Who did what?! Several times I would have to flip back a page and reread parts because I couldn’t understand what was going on or who was being described. For example when a character is being possessed by another character you can NOT call the character by both names!
Secondly there was the lingo. I'm sorry, but I've lived in Michigan for 35 years and don't know anyone who speaks like the people in this book. I think it was a case of trying to add too much snark in for the characters, it ended up being overload instead of funny. Teenagers don’t even throw in as many catch phrases into their conversations as these people did.
Third, stereotypes. Could the two gay hairstylists be more flamboyant? The portrayal of these men bordered on offensive it was so stereotypical. Then all of a sudden when a secret comes out about one of the guys he totally switches into a different dialect and no longer acts like he did through 80% of the book. Not cool.
Fourth, it's a book about a succubus with ONE sex scene in it. Lucy could have been a totally different type of demon and it wouldn't have mattered. The sex wasn't even hot. It took so long and was so over worded that I kept getting lost and couldn't figure out what was happening. The few kisses before the sex rolled along was sexier than the entire sex scene was.
Fifth, repeating the same thing over and over and over again. If I had to read one more time that Rafe's silver eyes were swirling and that his jaw was tight I was going to scream. Either find another way to describe it, something else to describe, or leave it out. No one wants to read the same description in practically every scene. Oh and apparently everyone in this book has hair that falls in their face and needs to be pushed away or tucked away multiple times in multiple scenes.
Sixth, too many people with the same first initials. Scenes where all of the characters names start with the same letter are too confusing, plain and simple.
Seventh, plot holes. Where the hell did the King disappear to? Two scenes and suddenly he’s no longer part of the story? It didn’t make sense at all. Then there’s the fact that there’s all of these people watching over Lucy and yet none of them stepped in until after she opened the chest and Rafe was sent to Earth? So what exactly was their purpose then? Then there’s the whole, “training� session. Lucy’s never fought with a weapon in her life and then after one mini session of swordplay with Rafe he feels like he can leave her alone because she’s had “some training.� Really?
Like I said, I really wanted this book to work and wanted to like it but I just couldn’t.
June 24, 2011
Lucy Gregory is the owner of a beauty salon. Her best friend buys a chest in an antique store and Lucy is the one to open it. By doing so she accidentally unleashes demonic activity. Paladin demon Rafe Deleon - one of the good guys - comes to the rescue, wanting to put a lid on this mess. He also reveals to Lucy what she really is: a half-succubus.
The cover had me hot and bothered in anticipation. It really s***ed that the book was kind of a let-down. I downloaded the free Kindle sample and found it to be a fun and bubbly first chapter. Buying the ebook was the next logical step.
My opinion changed pretty fast. Lucy's reaction to hearing that she's part demon was a no-go. This easy sell I did not appreciate (I'm a demon? Don't think so, but alrighty then...). I also didn't like the instantaneous attraction between Rafe and Lucy (Thank god she wasn't called Luce). As a sex demon she enraptured people and - so it seemed - Rafe as well. The lack of "real" chemistry bothered me.
Most of the characters turned out to be infuriating. Especially Squeaky the chimpanzee! It was too much of everything.
Demons might like Blondes, but I don't like a dumb heroine. Unfortunately - even if not intended by the author - that's exactly what Lucy was. Believing her mother to be in danger Rafe and Lucy were standing in the hallway happily arguing about who's going in first. Rafe even got a smooch for giving in. Her friend Serah couldn't gain my love either. She was far too accepting of the whole situation.
Lucy's employees Frankie and Gerardo sadly were no exception and had me grinding my teeth. The way they were portrayed was bordering on humiliation - at least it felt that way to me.
The whole book is littered with (attempts at funny) one-liners and references to starlets and TV shows. The author is also a fan of using certain phrases over and over again. Frankly, I was overwhelmed. Only 30% in and I was seriously considering to not finish this book (I pulled through!).
In the first half of the story Rafe spent most of his time standing around in Lucy's salon. From time to time he narrowed his eyes. Not funny and certainly not sexy. Neither did I warm up to Lucy's and Rafe's "relationship", nor was I capable of taking the villains seriously. It was pretty much a snoozefest - things only picking up as the end was near. However, there were a few unexpected surprises. I won't spoil them for you, but they're the only reason why I'm not just giving this book 1 star. Plot-wise the story had no real substance. Detachment is probably the best word to pinpoint my feelings regarding the - whatever it was - between Lucy and Rafe. To me she was a half-succubus first and a person last. The book was almost sitcom-like.
The only time I believed Rafe and Lucy were destined to be together was when the mere thought of her led to something good happening. 2 stars to Demons Prefer Blondes by Sidney Ayers!
The cover had me hot and bothered in anticipation. It really s***ed that the book was kind of a let-down. I downloaded the free Kindle sample and found it to be a fun and bubbly first chapter. Buying the ebook was the next logical step.
My opinion changed pretty fast. Lucy's reaction to hearing that she's part demon was a no-go. This easy sell I did not appreciate (I'm a demon? Don't think so, but alrighty then...). I also didn't like the instantaneous attraction between Rafe and Lucy (Thank god she wasn't called Luce). As a sex demon she enraptured people and - so it seemed - Rafe as well. The lack of "real" chemistry bothered me.
Most of the characters turned out to be infuriating. Especially Squeaky the chimpanzee! It was too much of everything.
Demons might like Blondes, but I don't like a dumb heroine. Unfortunately - even if not intended by the author - that's exactly what Lucy was. Believing her mother to be in danger Rafe and Lucy were standing in the hallway happily arguing about who's going in first. Rafe even got a smooch for giving in. Her friend Serah couldn't gain my love either. She was far too accepting of the whole situation.
Lucy's employees Frankie and Gerardo sadly were no exception and had me grinding my teeth. The way they were portrayed was bordering on humiliation - at least it felt that way to me.
The whole book is littered with (attempts at funny) one-liners and references to starlets and TV shows. The author is also a fan of using certain phrases over and over again. Frankly, I was overwhelmed. Only 30% in and I was seriously considering to not finish this book (I pulled through!).
In the first half of the story Rafe spent most of his time standing around in Lucy's salon. From time to time he narrowed his eyes. Not funny and certainly not sexy. Neither did I warm up to Lucy's and Rafe's "relationship", nor was I capable of taking the villains seriously. It was pretty much a snoozefest - things only picking up as the end was near. However, there were a few unexpected surprises. I won't spoil them for you, but they're the only reason why I'm not just giving this book 1 star. Plot-wise the story had no real substance. Detachment is probably the best word to pinpoint my feelings regarding the - whatever it was - between Lucy and Rafe. To me she was a half-succubus first and a person last. The book was almost sitcom-like.
The only time I believed Rafe and Lucy were destined to be together was when the mere thought of her led to something good happening. 2 stars to Demons Prefer Blondes by Sidney Ayers!
August 22, 2011
Reviewed for (4 out of 10 on the blog)
I wasn't really a fan of 'Demons Prefer Blondes' there were times when the storyline engaged me, but for the most part it dragged. This was one of the books I felt like I chugged through rather than read it. Picking it up because I'd promised to review it, not because I wanted to snuggle down on the sofa and find out what happens next.
It tells the story of beautician Lucia Gregory, who unwittingly opens a demonic box and unleashes demons on earth. At the same she also discovers she's a half-succubus and gains herself some rather cool powers as well as a whole world of trouble.
The prologue begins really well introducing us to our sexy hero Rafe who is given a mission to retrieve the box and save Lucy. But Rafe brings with him some of his own troubles, the main of which is a missing sister he would rather be saving than embarking on this mission.
The biggest problem with the book was that it just tried too hard too be funny. As a consequence the jokes felt like that awful moment at a party when someone delivers the punchline only to be greeted by silence, and you can almost see the tumbleweed rolling across the carpet. They were too forced and packed too close together. There was barely a break before the next one was delivered and it made the story quite tiring to read.
Secondly was that so many of the plot points were not fully developed. Let's start with the demonic box, other than unleashing Lucy's powers, it didn't seem to have much a further point in the story. I also wanted some things explained to me in greater detail, we're told that demons are immortal but the weaknesses were never fully explained. Also the fact that when demons 'poofed' they left behind ice crystals, I was never sure why. The strangest thing of all is that Lucy is a succubus but the need for her to have sex to survive or the implications of this discovery is not explained at all. The plot seemed to happen a mile at a minute without stopping to always let the reader catch up.
Then, the thing I found hardest of all was the heroine was just so irritating. On a positive note she did have some great friends, from best friend Serah to her two gay co-workers. But her one-liners sadly grated on me.
VERDICT:
A book with potential, but it simply tried too hard. A lot of things happened too fast or the characters were too accepting of different developments and fates. Which is a shame as I did want to like this book, the prologue and back cover really had me intrigued.
I wasn't really a fan of 'Demons Prefer Blondes' there were times when the storyline engaged me, but for the most part it dragged. This was one of the books I felt like I chugged through rather than read it. Picking it up because I'd promised to review it, not because I wanted to snuggle down on the sofa and find out what happens next.
It tells the story of beautician Lucia Gregory, who unwittingly opens a demonic box and unleashes demons on earth. At the same she also discovers she's a half-succubus and gains herself some rather cool powers as well as a whole world of trouble.
The prologue begins really well introducing us to our sexy hero Rafe who is given a mission to retrieve the box and save Lucy. But Rafe brings with him some of his own troubles, the main of which is a missing sister he would rather be saving than embarking on this mission.
The biggest problem with the book was that it just tried too hard too be funny. As a consequence the jokes felt like that awful moment at a party when someone delivers the punchline only to be greeted by silence, and you can almost see the tumbleweed rolling across the carpet. They were too forced and packed too close together. There was barely a break before the next one was delivered and it made the story quite tiring to read.
Secondly was that so many of the plot points were not fully developed. Let's start with the demonic box, other than unleashing Lucy's powers, it didn't seem to have much a further point in the story. I also wanted some things explained to me in greater detail, we're told that demons are immortal but the weaknesses were never fully explained. Also the fact that when demons 'poofed' they left behind ice crystals, I was never sure why. The strangest thing of all is that Lucy is a succubus but the need for her to have sex to survive or the implications of this discovery is not explained at all. The plot seemed to happen a mile at a minute without stopping to always let the reader catch up.
Then, the thing I found hardest of all was the heroine was just so irritating. On a positive note she did have some great friends, from best friend Serah to her two gay co-workers. But her one-liners sadly grated on me.
VERDICT:
A book with potential, but it simply tried too hard. A lot of things happened too fast or the characters were too accepting of different developments and fates. Which is a shame as I did want to like this book, the prologue and back cover really had me intrigued.
May 5, 2011
Rafe Deleon is summoned by the high council. Chaos has broken out in the demon world and they need Rafe’s help. His sister has sacrificed herself for the lives of the other demons and he wants to go save her but the council has other plans. The Chest of the Damned has gone missing and it has ended up on Earth. Rafe must retrieve it before the other demons find it and bring hell upon Earth.
Lucy Gregory owns a hip beauty salon and enjoys spending time with her eccentric friends. Her friend, Serah, brings an antique chest to her shop and insists that Lucy translate the Latin inscription carved into the box. When they learn that the box is damned, they all become paranoid, especially because Lucy keeps getting shocked whenever she touches the box. It’s Lucy who ends up opening the box and unleashing chaos into her world.
Rafe discovers that the box is located in the salon and tries to retrieve it but he is stopped by a sexy succubus. The problem is that Lucy doesn’t even know she is a succubus which creates more problems. When she opened the chest, it unleashed her sexual powers and she is struggling to come to grips with the fact that she is a sex demon.
With Rafe’s help, they must fight off the bad guys and protect Lucy from the clutches of Belial, a dangerous and powerful demon. My problem with the story is that it is clear up front what will happen but the execution is poor. The action is almost non-existent until the very end and frankly by then, I wish there had been more to keep me more entertained.
The characters are fun and witty. At times the funny banter seems a bit juvenile leaving me wishing for more developed and mature characters. The possibility of dangerous demons coming to harm Lucy is a very serious situation but they constantly brushed that aside to make jokes and act as though everything is completely normal.
There is entirely too much dialogue without explanations. The author gives background information in small doses. When starting a series, world building should have been more detailed and concise. The story moves slowly in spots especially the beginning. There is constant anticipation that the story will pick up speed and action will follow in pursuit but it falls short, therefore resulting in Demon Prefer Blondes being a decent read but not fully reaching its potential.
Overall, good start but this book has definitely hit some of the first series issues that are common with new authors.
Lucy Gregory owns a hip beauty salon and enjoys spending time with her eccentric friends. Her friend, Serah, brings an antique chest to her shop and insists that Lucy translate the Latin inscription carved into the box. When they learn that the box is damned, they all become paranoid, especially because Lucy keeps getting shocked whenever she touches the box. It’s Lucy who ends up opening the box and unleashing chaos into her world.
Rafe discovers that the box is located in the salon and tries to retrieve it but he is stopped by a sexy succubus. The problem is that Lucy doesn’t even know she is a succubus which creates more problems. When she opened the chest, it unleashed her sexual powers and she is struggling to come to grips with the fact that she is a sex demon.
With Rafe’s help, they must fight off the bad guys and protect Lucy from the clutches of Belial, a dangerous and powerful demon. My problem with the story is that it is clear up front what will happen but the execution is poor. The action is almost non-existent until the very end and frankly by then, I wish there had been more to keep me more entertained.
The characters are fun and witty. At times the funny banter seems a bit juvenile leaving me wishing for more developed and mature characters. The possibility of dangerous demons coming to harm Lucy is a very serious situation but they constantly brushed that aside to make jokes and act as though everything is completely normal.
There is entirely too much dialogue without explanations. The author gives background information in small doses. When starting a series, world building should have been more detailed and concise. The story moves slowly in spots especially the beginning. There is constant anticipation that the story will pick up speed and action will follow in pursuit but it falls short, therefore resulting in Demon Prefer Blondes being a decent read but not fully reaching its potential.
Overall, good start but this book has definitely hit some of the first series issues that are common with new authors.
June 18, 2011
Lucy Gregory happens to own a beauty salon and actually enjoys it. She also enjoys spending time with her fun friends. One of her friends brings her an antique chest that she wants Lucy to translate the script that is carved on the box. They come to find out that the box is damned. Lucy has to know for sure and opens the box. Now she has released chaos into the world. Can she set it right?
The high council summons Rafe Deleon to get the box. Not only has chaos broken out in the human world but in the demon world as well. Rafe's help is needed more than ever. He wants to go and save his sister who just so happens has sacrificed herself . But the high council has something else on their agenda. Since this damn chest has gone missing and has some how ended up on Earth its up to Rafe to retrieve it before all hell breaks out on Earth. Will he be to late?
I am not going to say to say this was my favorite book ever because frankly it started out slow in the first few chapters and all the action was saved pretty much until the end of the book. The characters seemed very fun and they for sure had their witty moments but for me it just wasn't enough. They didn't take the situations very series and just continued to keep brushing the matter at hand a side. Just acting like all this just so happens to be normal kind of annoyed me at times.
Also this book had more then enough dialogue but left out a lot of explanations. I felt the background of the book was done in spurts. I have read plenty of books where there is a lot of background needed especially in the first book of a series but this lacked it and I found myself confused at times on what was really going on.
I am not saying this was a bad book at all but I was left wanting more. Hopefully the next book in the series will be so much better. It was a good start to the series I just wish somethings would have been explained better. I am looking forward to continuing the series and hope it gets better. Happy Reading!
The high council summons Rafe Deleon to get the box. Not only has chaos broken out in the human world but in the demon world as well. Rafe's help is needed more than ever. He wants to go and save his sister who just so happens has sacrificed herself . But the high council has something else on their agenda. Since this damn chest has gone missing and has some how ended up on Earth its up to Rafe to retrieve it before all hell breaks out on Earth. Will he be to late?
I am not going to say to say this was my favorite book ever because frankly it started out slow in the first few chapters and all the action was saved pretty much until the end of the book. The characters seemed very fun and they for sure had their witty moments but for me it just wasn't enough. They didn't take the situations very series and just continued to keep brushing the matter at hand a side. Just acting like all this just so happens to be normal kind of annoyed me at times.
Also this book had more then enough dialogue but left out a lot of explanations. I felt the background of the book was done in spurts. I have read plenty of books where there is a lot of background needed especially in the first book of a series but this lacked it and I found myself confused at times on what was really going on.
I am not saying this was a bad book at all but I was left wanting more. Hopefully the next book in the series will be so much better. It was a good start to the series I just wish somethings would have been explained better. I am looking forward to continuing the series and hope it gets better. Happy Reading!
July 17, 2011
Demons Prefer Blondes begins with Lucy Gregory opening an old chest and unleashing a box full of demons. Afterwards, she discovers that parts of her life have been hidden from her as she is half human and half succubus. Now it is up to Lucy and her friends to save the world while in the midst of all that she discovers love as well.
The premise of this book sounded unique and interesting which instantly made me want to read it. And while the storyline was interesting and fun, it ended up being just an okay read for me. Let's start off with what I liked first which were the characters. There were lots of characters in this story but one of my favorites was a secondary character named Kalli. The author portrayed her with a hint of mystery, her past is alluded to a couple of times, but what made me like her so much is that she wasn't your typical sidekick character. In fact, I wanted to read more just about her. The two main characters were likeable enough as well with Rafe's character being the most fleshed out. Lucy took finding out that she was a succubus amazingly well which didn't quite ring true to me. She had doubts at the beginning but then all of a sudden she was completely at ease with her new powers. The storyline wasn't amazingly original but what worked for it was the author's writing and the characters that added to it.
I did struggle with the book at times as it never really drew me in. I found it easy to set aside before picking it back up again. The page turning suspense was never really there for me which was a disappointment. I would have to like to have learned more about Lucy's new powers as a succubus as well. But overall while I didn't love this read, I did think that it was okay bordering on good. I would read more by this author especially if the next book she writes features Rafe's sister Coby as the ending left me with a few questions. Recommended but with some hesitations.
Disclosure: I was sent this book for review from the publisher.
The premise of this book sounded unique and interesting which instantly made me want to read it. And while the storyline was interesting and fun, it ended up being just an okay read for me. Let's start off with what I liked first which were the characters. There were lots of characters in this story but one of my favorites was a secondary character named Kalli. The author portrayed her with a hint of mystery, her past is alluded to a couple of times, but what made me like her so much is that she wasn't your typical sidekick character. In fact, I wanted to read more just about her. The two main characters were likeable enough as well with Rafe's character being the most fleshed out. Lucy took finding out that she was a succubus amazingly well which didn't quite ring true to me. She had doubts at the beginning but then all of a sudden she was completely at ease with her new powers. The storyline wasn't amazingly original but what worked for it was the author's writing and the characters that added to it.
I did struggle with the book at times as it never really drew me in. I found it easy to set aside before picking it back up again. The page turning suspense was never really there for me which was a disappointment. I would have to like to have learned more about Lucy's new powers as a succubus as well. But overall while I didn't love this read, I did think that it was okay bordering on good. I would read more by this author especially if the next book she writes features Rafe's sister Coby as the ending left me with a few questions. Recommended but with some hesitations.
Disclosure: I was sent this book for review from the publisher.
May 23, 2011
Demons Prefer Blondes by Sidney Ayers
Paranormal Romance � June 1st, 2011
3 ½ stars
Rafael Deleon is a demon on a mission. His sister is part of an elite guard that were transporting a magical chest when they were ambushed by the evil Belial and his sister was kidnapped. Now Rafael is determined to save his sister and get back the stolen chest that is their salvation. But he discovers that the chest has been magically hidden on the planet earth - in the most unlikely clutches of a beauty salon owner named Lucy.
Lucy Gregory is trying to make ends meet at her hair salon where not only has one of her employees called in sick but the clients are driving her batty. Then her wacky friend, Serah comes in and tells her of an antique chest she bought. Lucy is skeptical and believes her friend was ripped off. That is until she touches it and feels something like electricity. When the latest in a series of calamities makes Lucy want to pull out her hair, a hunk like a Greek God comes in and saves the day. But what does he really want? And would it really hurt to open up the chest?!
This is a funny off the wall romance that lovers of high spirited chick lit romances will enjoy. The heroine is sassy. The hero is dark and dangerous and the rest of cast brings a lot of comic wackiness. It reminded me a bit of Michelle Rowen's lighter books. Lucy's adventurous are zany and outrageous. I did enjoy the quirky characters but actually found myself sometimes wishing there were fewer characters because they sometimes distracted me from the main plot story. This is because the book was so crammed with cast members that it sometimes made it a bit uneven to read. I felt that there was a lot of material that that the writer could have added to another book.
Fast-paced and funny, readers who love saucy heroines and a quirky cast of secondary characters will enjoy this new paranormal.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Paranormal Romance � June 1st, 2011
3 ½ stars
Rafael Deleon is a demon on a mission. His sister is part of an elite guard that were transporting a magical chest when they were ambushed by the evil Belial and his sister was kidnapped. Now Rafael is determined to save his sister and get back the stolen chest that is their salvation. But he discovers that the chest has been magically hidden on the planet earth - in the most unlikely clutches of a beauty salon owner named Lucy.
Lucy Gregory is trying to make ends meet at her hair salon where not only has one of her employees called in sick but the clients are driving her batty. Then her wacky friend, Serah comes in and tells her of an antique chest she bought. Lucy is skeptical and believes her friend was ripped off. That is until she touches it and feels something like electricity. When the latest in a series of calamities makes Lucy want to pull out her hair, a hunk like a Greek God comes in and saves the day. But what does he really want? And would it really hurt to open up the chest?!
This is a funny off the wall romance that lovers of high spirited chick lit romances will enjoy. The heroine is sassy. The hero is dark and dangerous and the rest of cast brings a lot of comic wackiness. It reminded me a bit of Michelle Rowen's lighter books. Lucy's adventurous are zany and outrageous. I did enjoy the quirky characters but actually found myself sometimes wishing there were fewer characters because they sometimes distracted me from the main plot story. This is because the book was so crammed with cast members that it sometimes made it a bit uneven to read. I felt that there was a lot of material that that the writer could have added to another book.
Fast-paced and funny, readers who love saucy heroines and a quirky cast of secondary characters will enjoy this new paranormal.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
July 6, 2011
Lucia Gregory, a hairdresser running a salon in a small town, lives a pretty simple life. That is until her quirky best friend’s obsession with antiques turns her world upside down. Lucia's affinity for Latin draws her to an ancient dusty trunk and she just can’t help her curiosity when the inscriptions warn her of demons and special powers. She never expects to unleash an immeasurable amount of trouble for herself and the entire world.
Rafe Deleon has been assigned the mission to come to earth to protect and retrieve the infamous trunk found by Lucia, which he is not happy about. But when he gets to the trunk and finds Lucia has already opened it and released the bad demons, he must find a way to save earth. The mission, however, has become much more complicated as his feelings for Lucia become something he is finding more and more difficult to control. And it doesn’t help that she feels the same way. They both have to team up and do their best to suppress their feelings long enough to defeat Belial and put everything evil back into the trunk before it’s too late.
This was a good read for me. I am a little torn on how much I liked it though. The plot line is intriguing and I barley put the book down. The characters are great too, but occasionally I found things to be moving along too quickly and conveniently for the situations that the characters found themselves in. It felt a little rushed- the things that happen to the main character. Lucia simply accepted her new fate and the new world too easily, when I expected it to take a larger toll on her. I always find it amusing when I complain that paranormal stories aren’t real enough. However, it is a fun read and very well written! Recommended to those paranormal romance junkies out there!
Rafe Deleon has been assigned the mission to come to earth to protect and retrieve the infamous trunk found by Lucia, which he is not happy about. But when he gets to the trunk and finds Lucia has already opened it and released the bad demons, he must find a way to save earth. The mission, however, has become much more complicated as his feelings for Lucia become something he is finding more and more difficult to control. And it doesn’t help that she feels the same way. They both have to team up and do their best to suppress their feelings long enough to defeat Belial and put everything evil back into the trunk before it’s too late.
This was a good read for me. I am a little torn on how much I liked it though. The plot line is intriguing and I barley put the book down. The characters are great too, but occasionally I found things to be moving along too quickly and conveniently for the situations that the characters found themselves in. It felt a little rushed- the things that happen to the main character. Lucia simply accepted her new fate and the new world too easily, when I expected it to take a larger toll on her. I always find it amusing when I complain that paranormal stories aren’t real enough. However, it is a fun read and very well written! Recommended to those paranormal romance junkies out there!
July 12, 2011
Cheeky Summary: This book was a slow start for me. In fact, I almost didn't stay with this story. There were too many WTF moments in which I felt the author was trying to hard to be cool and instead came off totally ridiculous. But I kept with the book mainly because of the side characters who kept my interest much more than the hero and heroine did. The world-building was much more interesting than the love story itself was and I think it’s because I had a hard time getting past those cheesy lines at the beginning of the book.
What I did really enjoy about the book was the very interesting world that Ms. Ayers built. I especially loved the character of Kalli. I will actually pick up any sequels that include Kalli’s story. She was the most interesting character of the book and I found myself wanting to skip the scenes that didn’t include her.
I will say that the book got much better as it went along and got over trying to be cool and settled into a voice that felt much more authentic. Part of me wants the author to rewrite the first few chapters to match the rest!
Again, there were great supporting characters in this book and I really liked the world that unfolded and all the different types of characters and what it might mean for a series of books. I’ll be keeping an eye on new books because really, the only thing off for me was those chapters that felt like they tried to hard to be cute. The rest of the story did enough for me that I’ll give this series another chance.
What I did really enjoy about the book was the very interesting world that Ms. Ayers built. I especially loved the character of Kalli. I will actually pick up any sequels that include Kalli’s story. She was the most interesting character of the book and I found myself wanting to skip the scenes that didn’t include her.
I will say that the book got much better as it went along and got over trying to be cool and settled into a voice that felt much more authentic. Part of me wants the author to rewrite the first few chapters to match the rest!
Again, there were great supporting characters in this book and I really liked the world that unfolded and all the different types of characters and what it might mean for a series of books. I’ll be keeping an eye on new books because really, the only thing off for me was those chapters that felt like they tried to hard to be cute. The rest of the story did enough for me that I’ll give this series another chance.
October 2, 2011
Demons Prefer Blondes is a paranormal romance that is quirky and funny. The heroine is a newly-aware succubus who happens to be succubi royalty. The hero is a tortured demon who cannot believe he’s being sent to Earth to retrieve an antique chest. And once Lucy and Rafe meet, all Hell breaks loose. Literally. So what else is there to do but fight?
On the bad side: A big bad demon who’s intent on getting his hands on an antique chest that Lucy’s bff bought from an antique store. He wouldn’t mind getting his hands on Lucy, too, especially once he finds out who her father is. Oh, and he has Rafe’s sister in his thrall.
On the good side: Rafe. His posse: BFF Nic, clean-up maestro Kalli, talking ape-imp Squeaky, Lucy’s guardian angel, and her salon employee-slash-friend Frankie.
Who do you think wins? Why, love of course. After all, this is a romance novel. And in the helter-skelter from the first page to the last is a ton of humor.
With all that said, I do wish I liked this book more than I do. It was an ok read for me--there was so much chaos from so many characters, so nobody really stood out--not even Rafe and Lucy. And their story seemed a bit rushed into, and yet they’re pledging undying love and all that jazz. But still, it’s a fun romp, so give it a whirl if paranormal romance is your thing.
On the bad side: A big bad demon who’s intent on getting his hands on an antique chest that Lucy’s bff bought from an antique store. He wouldn’t mind getting his hands on Lucy, too, especially once he finds out who her father is. Oh, and he has Rafe’s sister in his thrall.
On the good side: Rafe. His posse: BFF Nic, clean-up maestro Kalli, talking ape-imp Squeaky, Lucy’s guardian angel, and her salon employee-slash-friend Frankie.
Who do you think wins? Why, love of course. After all, this is a romance novel. And in the helter-skelter from the first page to the last is a ton of humor.
With all that said, I do wish I liked this book more than I do. It was an ok read for me--there was so much chaos from so many characters, so nobody really stood out--not even Rafe and Lucy. And their story seemed a bit rushed into, and yet they’re pledging undying love and all that jazz. But still, it’s a fun romp, so give it a whirl if paranormal romance is your thing.
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