How is everyone doing? Well I hope, I’m currently on a good reading stretch that I hope to continue until August because I know I won’t be reading much then. Today I’m reviewing another book by one of my favorite romance authors, Katee Roberts. While I don’t like everything she does, I’m half and half on her Dark Olympus series and couldn’t really get into Hunt on Dark Waters, it was okay but it lacked the pull of some of her other stuff.
This book however I gobbled up in like an afternoon. I’m not the biggest fan of monster romance. There are some I like though, including Lillian Lark, but they have to be a very specific type. Even within this Deal with a Demon series, I couldn’t get into all of them. But the two I have read are very good.
The basic premise of the series is this, women make deals with these creatures called bargainer demons. Think classic devil imagery but a little creepier as they have horns where their eyes should be. Anyway, these demons solve a problem for the woman in exchange for seven years of her life keeping one of the lords/ladies of the underworld company.
The woman in this book is paired with the head of the gargoyles, who is the last of his family and supposedly cursed. She comes from a family of monster hunters but she’s also the last of her family and wants to leave that life behind. She made her deal because she wanted to find out what happened to her mother who disappeared a few years back.
Bram, the gargoyle, wants a child but they quickly forgo that as they get to know each other. I like this book specifically because the two leads seem to match each other when it comes to wit and intelligence. They are always sparring, either physically, sexually or verbally. And it makes when they finally do open up to each other all the sweeter.
Another thing I liked about this book is that they limited the Act Three breakup to only a few chapters. It’s my least favorite trope so I was happy to see it shortened. The conflict they face at the end I figured out about a third through the book. But then again I’m not really reading romance for great surprise plots.
Grace the FMC is determined but broken in a few ways by life and her family, while Bram the MMC is broken by the trauma of losing his family and not being able to protect them. They help each other heal and can move forward with their lives together. There is a happy ending and I think an epilogue somewhere. But overall the story stands nicely on its on and fits well within the larger series.
Do you like monster romance? If so who are some of your favorite authors?
Rose's Book Garden 