Terri GareyAnmeldelser

Book 2 in this series. Its a fun, quick read. Paranormal stuff, ghosts, good looking guys, and a weird twist at the end I didn't see coming.

I like Nicki, but I get exasperated because she has these spooky experiences but never tells her friends the story or only half the story so bad things keep happening because she shrugs off stuff she never should be shrugging off.

Minor complaint, I suppose. She's a bit too flippant for someone who sees dead people, but she's likable.

Moving on eventually to book 3!

Third in the Nikki Styx series. She's kinda fun, though I still think her disdain of the paranormal makes no logical sense considering she's so involved with helping dead souls and Satan himself follows her around all the time. So Nikki, really? You're rolling your eyes at protection spells?

The whole deal with the devil following her everywhere got old. I wanted more Nikki helping lost souls, less Nikki wanting to get in the Devil's pants. Anyway! This storyline did pick up a bit at the end.

Does anyone else find the stereotyping of the black characters in this book offensive? I'm white and I've been cringing.

I hope the next book is more involved with lost souls, maybe some new characters. I did buy this set so I'm reading all of them. In case you wondered why I keep plugging away at them.

Another fun book I seem to be in the mood for! Nicki has a near death experience and therefore, can see dead people. Admittedly, not too original, but still fun.

There's a few twists here, plus a romance that's not too objectionable. One of the dead that she sees might actually be an evil spirit. I love the voodoo stuff in this book, hokey as it may be.

I'm just hoping that MY heart murmur doesn't give me a heart attack after a dentist visit! I went to the dentist yesterday and then laid in bed and thought about that last night. actually, seeing all those ghosts might be fun. Maybe.

This book was good, and at the end I wanted to read the next in the series to find out what happens to Nicki and her friends. The plot was a little unbelievable, but still fun to read. I wasn't sure how realistic the voodoo scenes were. But the main character Nicki and her friend Evan are interesting characters. The boyfriend Joe isn't as well written, but it could improve in future installments.

You really have to suspend your disbelief with this one. Nikki finds her long lost twin sister Kelly. It turns out Kelly used to be married to Joe, Nikki's current boyfriend. WTF? And upon meeting Kelly, she invites her to move in with her. All sorts of jealousy ensues. And both Kelly and Nikki can see and communicate with ghosts. And the devil wants Nikki to be his bride. Sheer craziness.

Nikki is a cool character. Kelly is unlikeable, and Joe I am up in the air about. Fun to read if you don't mind all the coincidences.

I'd never read anything by Terri Garey before, so this novella seemed like a good place to start. The story is an entertaining mix of bridesmaid nightmares, redneck family, and paranormal mystery. While the premise of the main character may not be the most original (woman who has near-death experience is now visited by some spirits having trouble moving on), the characterization and plot kept me interested and the dialogue was quite entertaining. I'm very glad I picked this up and now have some Nicki Styx novels on my wish list!

This is the second book in the Nicki Styx series, and it will be the last one I read. After a sluggish first book that I was iffy on, I did start this one. Sadly, I had to force myself to finish it. This one was mired in loose ends, unbelievable connections, and a rather forced premise.

First, the plot was all over the place. Nicki has not even come to grips with her "knack" (as it's referred to in the book), but now there's long-lost twin Kelly, thrown into the mix. I get that Nicki now kinda understands the "interconnectedness" of all things during her brief stint in the light, but it was a bit of stretch that the doctor who saves her life and now wants to date her *just happens* to be married to her long-lost twin. And Nicki's reaction on the whole thing ran too long. I get it. It's a huge shock to find out you have a long-lost twin when you believed you were an only child. But it took her nearly to the end of the book to deal, and even then, I'm not sure she had. But instead of trying to work through it, Nicki's reaction was of a petulant child ... through the entire book - it became more than irritating.

Also, a theme that kept popping up was that while Nicki was adopted by loving parents, Kelly bounced from foster home to foster home and never had any one (cue sad violins) AND she was in a terrible car wreck. Since the twins were given up at birth, I have a very hard time believing that Kelly wouldn't have been adopted. And there's no real explanation as to WHY they were separated because apparently they were *supposed* to be kept together. But we're just supposed to accept that Kelly grew up in foster care and no one ever knew about her. Alright. But the whole "Feel bad for her because no one loved her" got old fast.

On top of long-lost twin Kelly (as if that wasn't enough shock to Nicki's system), biological mother enters. Bio mom prefers to be called "Peaches" - really? Peaches? There was no clear explanation as to why when her name was Lila, except references to a peach smell and lots of pink clothing. But that seemed like a stretch. Anyway, Peaches tracks down long-lost sister. Now they're both on their way to meet Nicki. Except bio mom dies in car crash first and comes to Nicki as a ghost, but because she's a newish ghost, she's confused and doesn't recognize Nicki, but knows she's dead. Again, something that's never really explained.

Then we have Bijou, the mysterious "mother" of Peaches and "grandmother" to the twins, who *just happens* to show up at Peaches funeral. The twins pay for the funeral and have Peaches buried in Atlanta because apparently there are no other relatives. Yet, someone contacts Bijou? Again, not explained how that works either. And the whole Bijou is Leonard thing - weird. And again, not really clear what the point was other than maybe an attempt to give the story yet another twist. But it failed. It didn't work and was just dumb.

But before we learn the who Bijou-Leonard scenario, enter dead rich guy and his mistress, "Psycho Blonde." We then learn that Nicki can only see female spirits and Kelly can only see male spirits. Very yin/yang. So Kelly helps dead rich guy enter the light, even though he was not a nice guy and blatantly cheated on his wife. But Psycho Blonde does not take this well because she wants/needs his soul to burn in hell, literally. So Psycho Blonde now starts popping up periodically to screw with Nicki.

Then enter Sammy, who we learn later is the Devil in disguise. He's trying to tempt Nicki to the dark side. And he'd prefer her because apparently her "knack" is stronger than Kelly's. WTF?! We went from yin/yang to yin/ya with no clear explanation on why one of the identical twins, even though they share the "knack", would be stronger or weaker than the other. The only thing I could connect was it had to do with Nicki being raised in a loving home while poor little Kelly was the orphan no one wanted.

On top of the schizophrenic plot, the characters actually got weaker and one-dimensional. Both Kelly and Nicki became 8 year olds with two modes. Angry or whiny. No depth at all. Joe might as well not even been there, and I was actually rooting for him to get in the cab. I have no idea what he would see in Nicki, because frankly she was irritating. The only half-way interesting character, Evan, dropped out of sight completely, except a few brief conversations with Nicki.

Outside of the whole good vs. evil never-ending war, I think the point was to show the larger "interconnectedness" of the world, i.e., the message Nicki got when she went into the Light. But this book failed miserably to do so. If you want to read a book that seamless interconnects seemingly random scenes/events/characters together into one fluid plot, then read Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and leave this book on the shelf.

Attrazione infernale, di Terri Garey, è il secondo volume della serie urban fantasy “Nicki Styx”, irriverente ventottenne amante del vintage e con un’avversione sconfinata verso tutto ciò che è ordinario e normale.

Nicki, a seguito di un problema cardiaco, ha affrontato, neanche un mese prima, un viaggetto piuttosto turbolento verso la Luce. Per qualcuno, però, non era ancora arrivato il suo momento e di conseguenza è stata rispedita indietro con un un’esperienza pre-morte al limite del fantascientifico e con un piccolo extra: parlare con le anime dei defunti con faccende in sospeso.

In realtà, da quella che lei reputa una “pessima” esperienza, Nicki ha guadagnato anche qualcosa di bello: Joe Bascombe, suo medico e poi compagno.

La sua vita sarebbe finalmente felice con il suo fidanzato, il suo negozio di vintage, il suo socio e migliore amico gay Evan. Certo, il problema di vedere anime in giro è piuttosto rilevante, ma Nicki è testardamente coraggiosa e, quindi, nonostante gli sbuffi, non nega a nessuno il suo aiuto; nemmeno ai morti.

Il problema, purtroppo, è che per chissà quale ironia della sorte (siamo sicuri che si debba parlare di “Sorte”?) l’ex moglie di Joe – e non ancora ex fino a momento della firma dei documenti – è anche sua sorella . Gemella.

Le due ragazze sono state date in affidamento da neonate e non hanno mai saputo nulla l’una dell’altra fino a quando Joe non ha mostrato una foto a Nicki con la ragionevole certezza che si trattasse della sorella. O fino a quando una donna, Lila Bourdreaux, non decide di recarsi da Nicki in cerca di aiuto: la sua auto è finita fuori strada e sua figlia è rimasta dentro, senza aiuto! Ma come spiegare a Lila Bourdreaux che, in realtà, è morta? E come mai, sua sorella, si trova in quella macchina, in fondo ad un burrone?

E' così che si avvia questa seconda avventura di Nicki Styx. Lei, Joe e Kelly, l’ex di Joe e sua sorella gemella, nella stessa casa. Nessuno potrà dire che Nicki non soccorre chi ha bisogno di aiuto! Fare sempre agli altri ciò che vorresti sia fatto a te. Ma come far uscire la sua sanità mentale intatta da questa allucinante situazione?

Il romanzo ci conferma che l’autrice sa scrivere e che le sue idee non cesseranno mai di stupirci, pagina dopo pagina. Il suo stile è esilarante, irriverente e assolutamente “chiassoso”. Proprio come Nicki che, fra un attacco di bile nei confronti dei fantasmi maligni e un colpo di gelosia nei confronti di Kelly che continua a confonderla circa le sue intenzioni con Joe, si sentirà più volte lusingata dall’idea di farli fuori tutti. Per il bene del suo cuore difettoso, s’intende.

E se a tutto ciò ci aggiungiamo un Diavolo tentatore che non le da tregua, una ritrovata famiglia con un passato così carico di scheletri nell’armadio da spaventare chiunque e una schiera di fantasmi ben decisi a mandarla al manicomio, sembra chiaro che gli ingredienti per rendere questo libro assolutamente squisito ci sono tutti. Soprattutto se consideriamo che, finalmente, avremo tutte le risposte che cerchiamo per quanto riguarda il passato delle gemelle e il loro abbandono. Avremo le risposte a tutti i nostri “perché”.

Non mancheranno anche picchi di tensione lievemente drammatici, ma l’autrice gestisce il tutto con insolita maestria per essere alle sue prime opere. Sicuramente, viste le premesse, non tarderà a farsi una schiera di fans. Ora, però, non resta che attendere di leggere le prossime mirabolanti avventure della nostra eroina dai capelli rosa shocking.

Un romanzo veramente squisito questo “Le ragazze morte sono facili”, opera di esordio di Terri Garey. Fresco, irriverente e innovativo sotto alcuni punti di vista, pur rimanendo sul classico sotto altri aspetti che rappresentano, tutto sommato, la colonna portante del romanzo. In molti riscontreranno qualche similitudine con il telefilm Ghost Whispers, ma a parte l’introduzione – comune a moltissimi altri romanzi del genere – i collegamenti terminano in fretta.

Nicki è una ragazza normalissima – per quanto possa esserlo una sagace dark vintage – ma l’aver sfiorato – letteralmente – la morte la riporterà indietro con uno spiacevole souvenir dalla sua esperienza premorte.

E se, da una parte, l’esperienza in ospedale porterà nella sua vita il sexy dottor Bascombe, dall’altra, l’idea di vedere le anime dei morti non entusiasma per niente la nostra Nicki, che si ritroverà a dubitare seriamente della sua sanità mentale. E con lei anche la maggior parte delle persone con le quali troverà il coraggio di svelarsi.

Se a tutto questo aggiungiamo che una delle sue più care amiche provvederà a farsi uccidere, nonché a vendere la sua anima al Male – per gelosia – e decidere che sia proprio Nicki (ancora alle prime armi per quanto riguarda spiriti e affini) a doverla aiutare… possiamo dire che non c’è limite al peggio. Povera Nicki!

Questo romanzo è una lettura fresca, leggera e perfetta per una serata d’estate, in grado di farti fare quattro risate (Nicki è veramente una forza della natura!) e abbastanza intrigante e ben scritto da catturare l’attenzione del lettore in poche, rapide, pagine.

La narrazione presenta un ritmo crescente che scivola, con facilità, dalla spassosa introduzione a una parte centrale e finale man a mano più interessante, cupa e perfino misteriosa. Il romanticismo c’è, senza dubbio, ma non rappresenta il centro assoluto del libro e permette al lettore di non fossilizzarsi troppo sulle smancerie dei due protagonisti che, per fortuna, di zuccherino hanno ben poco. Sono una coppia apparentemente opposta ma in realtà ben assortita, giovane, dinamica e divertente.

I personaggi, benché abbastanza stereotipati (il miglior amico gay, il dottore scettico ma innamorato e tanto sensibile…), appaiono tutti perfettamente in grado di andarsene in giro sulle loro gambe grazie a tanti piccoli particolari, introdotti dall’autrice, che riescono comunque a renderli unici, a loro modo.

Evan è strepitoso, in tutto quello che fa e dice… Soprattutto quando non si preoccupa di far incavolare l’amica se ritiene che questa abbia bisogno di aiuto.

Joe è ben lontano dal classico bello e dannato ma, piuttosto, alla bellezza aggiunge un tocco di charme, savoir faire, intelligenza e sagacia che lo aiutano a far breccia nel cuore, ben protetto da uno spesso strato di sarcasmo, di Nicki.

Lo stile della Garey è divertente, irriverente, fresco, giovane ed esplosivo. È diretto e piuttosto semplice nel descrivere in prima persona le esperienze di Nicki Styx, dandoci, inoltre, una bella panoramica dell’assurda mente della nostra protagonista. L’autrice dimostra anche di sapersi muovere in un ambiente più cupo e meno leggero, come quello degli incantesimi Vodoo, e di saper costruire una trama intrigante, misteriosa e priva di buchi logici nonché nonsense.

A differenza di molte sue colleghe, Terri Garey non ci fornisce un semplice romanzo introduttivo alla saga ma, ringraziando iddio, un romanzo strutturalmente completo dal finale aperto, ma che vede concludersi i tre casi seguiti dalla nostra Nicki alle prese con amori, sorelle gemelle, anime, fantasmi vendicatori e vodoo.

In definitiva, un romanzo da leggere, apprezzare e con il quale passare qualche ora (visto oltretutto che non presenta una lunghezza eccessiva) nelle calde sere estive. Consigliato.

Fun start to a new series. Nicki, Evan and Joe are the main three characters. Nicki is the focus of the book but she interacts with her best gay friend Evan and the new man in her life Joe. Joe is the ER doc that Nicki back to life after her heart stopped and she was sent back from the light because 'it wasn't' her time.'

Nicki gets to meet her sister Kelley when she rescues her from a car accident she is led to by a ghost. Turns out the ghost is her birth mother. This leads Kelley and Nicki to Savannah and the Blue Dahlia the house their mother "Peaches" or Lila grew up in. Oh, and its haunted!

My stomach was feeling icky and so I ended up staying late in the night reading this. I finished it up this afternoon after a few hours of sleep. Nicki gets possessed and has to figure out how to stop it from happening. While she's possessed the ghost makes her say things that hurts Joe's job. Bijou and her Garden Club from Savannah come up and help her out. We learn a little about Wicca. Have the next book in the series from the library so might inhale it too.

Another quick read. Wonder if this is the end of the series though? Haven't seen anything else. The Three Fates have it in for Nicki and their using Joe to get even. They break up, but of course at the end, they get back together. Fun series, light reading.

Really a 2.5. I didn't but I did....I surely Do NOT like Nikki's twin sister, what a stoopid _ .

She leaves her husband for the Peace Corps & another man, she comes back, gets in a car accident, the ghost of Nikki's birth mother tells her of the accident. Nikki rescues her sister...and the sister (Kelly) is an ungrateful, snotty, jealous, stoopid _.

The rest of the story I liked....so that's it.

This was much better than the last one....

We didn't have to deal with Kelly (Nikki's twin sister)

The Devil is back, but we get to hear his side of the story

There is a child molesting preacher (who is dealt with in a most interesting manner) and the ghost of the recently dead anorexic/bulimic young woman that she became

Joe (Nikki's) E.R. doctor boyfriend has been suspended and the hospital's attorney is making a play for him

And Bijou (Nikki's grandmother/father) is in town with her coven of Savannah belles to help Nikki with the other bad stuff that's floating around.

Well written, interesting & easy to read.....

Nikki Styx has just had a NDE and now dead people who are wanting help in various manners are appearing to her asking (insisting) on her help so that they may cross over into the "Light".

Her friend has been murdered by a voodoo practitioner and is in need of dire help, lest the v.p. takes over her soul....with the help of her friend's grandmother Nikki gets more of a lesson in voodoo than she ever wanted.

The doctor who saved Nikki is falling madly in love with her.....but as it turns out he is married to an AWOL Peace Corps worker who just happens to look exactly like Nikki. He also enlists Nikki's help in his research project on NDE.

I really liked the book, except the doctor...was really bossy and didn't seem to respect the fact that Nikki was working to help souls let go & move on.

Read for Fun (Kindle)
Overall Rating: 3.50
Story Rating: 3.25
Character Rating: 3.75

First Thoughts when Finished: A Match Made in Hell by Terri Garey wasn't my favorite in the series but still a ton of FUN!

Tweet Length Review:Here comes Sammy (fav character). Too much Kelly plus Nikki/Joe relationship drama. The mystery is strong and the humor was great. Liked IT!

Tweet just a bit Longer:Seriously fun read! I think people who love cozy mysteries with a bit of the paranormal will have fun with it. I am looking forward to book 3.

Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! Review! #TBRJar½

Nikky can see dead people and sent them on, her boyfriend, Joe Bascombe is an ER doctor, the person who brought her back to life and this time a vengeful ghost is getting him in trouble and with the devil trying to attract her. Her life is complicated and messy and a bit manic.

It's not a bad read, but didn't push me to read more in the series, I wouldn't reject reading more but not pushed to find them.

For full Review see http://scorchingreviews.blogspot.com

Wow, this book was not what I was expecting! I was expecting something light and fluffy, but what I got what a truly dark and heart breaking read. Faith is in untenable situation. Does she want to make a devils bargain? Hell no! She knows that the Devil never makes things simple, that he will look for ways to renege on their deal, but what choice does she have? Her baby boy is dying and his death will not be quick and easy. She makes a choice to “whore” herself out to save her child, and she hates herself every second of it. She can’t help but feel attracted to the delectable Rock star, but she can’t let herself feel pity for the situation in which she puts him. Finn is used to the life he lives. He has women throwing himself at him at every corner, more money than he can spend and a legion of adoring fans. He knows that it will one day end, knows that the Devil will not allow him to live to a ripe old age, but he refuses to allow that day to come anytime soon. When Faith steals his ring he does everything, and I mean everything, that he can to convince her to give it him back (it has to be given to him, not stolen). He knows that to relinquish the ring means certain death. He also knows that whatever the Devil say is twisted to suit his means; can he convince Faith not to trust her soul to such a manipulative creature. It comes down to a choice for the pair of them; Nathan’s life or Finn’s. When they start to feel something towards each other it makes it twice as hard; how can they cause each other pain if they claim to care? I felt so sorry for the pair of them; I completely understood both of their points of view. My opinion was swayed more in the favour of Faith winning the ring (especially when Nathan basically tells her he accepts he will die and I cried!), but I knew that neither outcome would make me happy because I loved them together. It was not a good situation!!

In part’s, this book was a little slow because it was so emotionally heavy, but the overall story, and the fabulously written characters, kept me reading and I finished it one sitting. I loved the tragic love story between Faith and Finn, and I couldn’t see an outcome that would satisfy me. Sammy B Devine (AKA the devil) was my favourite character. He was a grumpy old Angel, but underneath all the hurt and anger, is a lonely man that has been cast out by his family and rejected by the only woman he has ever loved. A tearjerker, with the occasional laugh, this is a twisty, emotional tale that kept me on the edge of my seat. I will be reading more of this series!

If you haven’t read book one you should probably stop reading now. There are spoilers in all aspects of this review for book one and I can’t help that as the twist in book one is the main story for book two. Also, if you are a person of devout Catholic faith, you should probably know that this book contains a storyline which plays with traditional scripture. If neither of these things bother you, this book is a definite winner.

Hope feels that her life is over. For years, she has searched for her missing sister Charity, only to have all her dreams of a reunion shattered by the discovery of her belongings abandoned in a stream. Devastated, she does the only thing she thinks she can do; she tries to kill herself. During her last moment she calls out to the darkness and the darkness answers in the form of Sammy Devine. Sammy Devine, AKA the Devil, gives her the news she’s been waiting to hear; her sister is alive and well. Then he gives her the bad news; she’s nearly succeeded in trying to kill herself. Forcing her to do his bidding in return for a chance to reunite with her sister, he then thrusts her into the path of his brother Gabriel (the Archangel) in the hopes of teaching his brother that temptation is often very hard to resist.

Gabriel has tried to save his brother more times than he can count. Ever faithful to his maker, he scours the world to eradicate evil and when he sees the Evil surrounding Hope, he tries his hardest to intervene. She is the purest soul he has ever found and she tempts him as the man, not just as the Angel. He knows it’s forbidden to involve himself with a human, knows that he could be grounded for it, and never has he had to struggle so hard to stick to the rules. When he finds out what she has been asked to do, he realises that protecting her will be the hardest thing he has had to do. The question is, can he do it and protect his heart?

Sammy Devine has been bitter for what seems like an eternity. Banished from Heaven for falling for a woman, he has reigned over the Damned ever since. Then appeared a surprise on his doorstep, a son that he never knew that he had sired. Cain is a child running round Hell with all his creatures, playing with his heart and making him question his character. Will the son teach the Father a thing or two about himself? And will the son survive until the end of the book with his complete disregard for his own personal safety?

This is the second alt-religion book I’ve read this year and I’ve loved them both. I’ve waited for this book ever since I read the first one and it didn’t disappoint. I have to admit, I’ve never read the Nicki Styx novels, and I read the first book for the cover alone (I know, I’m a perv :D). I loved it. Sammy Divine is the reason I read these books as he is the constant in the series. In this book, he is struggling with his new role of Dad to Cain, the rambunctious little tyke  I loved this storyline, loved the humour and emotion behind the whole thing. Sammy has been pretty devoid of emotion ever since his untimely exit from Heaven. When Cain arrives, he doesn’t know what to do with a boy that wants his love and approval. His protective instincts rear up when the boy starts running around the recesses of Hell. Some of the conversations made me laugh out loud; I’ve heard and had similar conversations with kids and putting them into this context lead to some fabulous scenes! I particularly enjoyed when Pandora of the deadly sins fame (AKA Aunt Pandy) arrives to help Sammy shape himself into a father. She was a fricking scream!

The main storyline is that of Gabriel and Hope. They are both such good and pure people and they both have their outlooks on life tested by the events of this tale. Neither of them come out of the book the same but I do believe they came out a lot stronger. Parts of their tale made me tear up and parts made me laugh. When Hope mistakes Gabriel as one of Sammy’s minions and douses him in peppermint I cried with laughter; it was just the most bizarre thing to do! I was torn between wanting their HEA and not because I knew what the implications would be for Gabriel. I liked Gabriel and didn’t want to see him upset. Also, kiss of death for any relationship dontcha think :O I didn’t like either of them at the start of the tale. Hope was a weak person who chose to kill herself rather than continue living without her sister. I didn’t see why she made this decision as she’s been living without her just fine for a few years! Gabriel was an idealist who judged anyone who made decisions that he didn’t agree with. By the end of the book, events had changed them into real people with real outlooks on life. I really did like them.

Overall this was a book that was better than the first. With themes of PNR and UF, it has something for everyone. With laugh out loud moments littered with tense moments and buckets of emotion, this is a series that I recommend for everyone. Loved it. Now when do I get Sammy’s book?

Distraught by the reported death of her sister, Hope decides to kill herself, thus ending her pain. However, as she slips away a man appears and tells her that her sister is alive and he will tell Hope where she is, if Hope will do one little thing for him. Of course the man is Sammy, aka Satan and he is really setting a trap for Gabriel, the archangel. It is a love trap, but a trap never the less.

I liked this book. I lked the first book, Devil Without a Cause., better. But this one was a good bit of paranormal fluff. Everyone needs that now and then. Unlike many paranormal romance series, we do see the character of Sammy growing. It is nice to think that even a 10,000 year old evil monster can learn new tricks.½

Review coming soon...

Read for Fun
Challenges: Read for Fun
Overall Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 3.75

First Thought When Finished: I *heart* Sammy! (Somehow it feels a little wrong to say that LOL)

What I Loved: To be honest, I wasn't sure how I would feel about Gabe. I love Gabe and Sammy's brotherly banter but I wasn't sure I could see him as a love interest. Boy was I wrong! I loved Gabe as a leading man. I thought he was just yummy to the extreme (breaking out my 80s lingo). He just radiated the "fall in love with me" vibe that I love in my leading men. His journey from angel to man in love was an interesting twist in this world. I also loved Sammy's side story. It is fun seeing Sammy as a dad and his son is just the perfect one to bring out Sammy's soft side.

What I Liked: Though I didn't love Hope, I did like how clearly loyal she was to her sister, Charity (who I can't wait to learn more about). I liked that Hope was willing to do almost anything to get Charity back and keep her safe. Hope had so many spot-on reactions to her circumstances that at times I felt like she deserved a break. I think the chemistry between her and Gabe was a little rushed but by the end I was really liking them as a couple.

What made me go huh?: I felt the love story was a little rushed but by the end I was rooting for Gabe and Hope.

Final Thought: Great edition to the series!

Bought for Myself
Overall Rating 4.25
Character Rating 4.50
Story Rating 4.00
Future Member of the Snort Club (I think)

NOTE: I was hesitant about picking up Dead Girls are Easy because I read Devil Without a Cause. I loved Sammy, so I wasn't sure how I would react to Nicki. My friend Christi said I had to read them because Nicki was my kind of leading lady. As always, Christi was right!

What I Loved: Nicki Styx! Terri Garey has written a smart nontraditional beauty. Nicki isn't afraid to speak her mind even though she has insecurities and a whole heaping mess full of problems. I love those kind of characters that can keep a sense of humor while tackling things that just pop up in their lives. From Dead People to long lost relatives, Nicki manages to handle everything with her own unique brand of humor and hutzpa. Also love Evan, Nicki's BFF! He is so full of awesome! The following quotes are from him....

He tore his gaze from Christian Lacroix’s spring collection to take a good look at my face. “Oh, dear Lord. It’s Kelly Osbourne the morning after. What happened to your mascara? Your lipstick is all smeared.”

“He should’ve told you.” “Then why didn’t he?” Evan threw up his hands. “Honey, if I knew the answer to that I’d either be a straight man or a shrink. And I’d much rather have the two hundred bucks an hour.” “Two fifty,” I said glumly.

What I Liked: Not in love with Joe the boyfriend/doctor. It really isn't his fault I am not in love with him. I am still really trying to wrap my head around all the circumstances surrounding him. However, I have a feeling I will come to love him very much!

Complaints: None!

Why I gave it a 4.25: This was such a fun beginning to a new series for me. The story, plotting, pacing, and characters were all fantastically done!

I am an Urban Fantasy gal all the way. Every so often I enjoy a little paranormal romance. While I like some romantic tension in my books, I don't necessarily need or enjoy a book that is 25% or more bedroom scenes. Yet there are a few paranormal romances that I fully embrace (Kresley Cole, J.R. Ward, Kerrlyn Sparks). I was not expecting to more than casually enjoy this new book by Terri Garey, "Devil Without A Cause". I liked her Nicki Styx books well enough, in part because I am a sucker for a ghost story. Those books featured the Devil, Sammy Devine in a recurring role. I couldn't stand Sammy in those books. He was cocky and just plain didn't do anything for me. While I was happy to hear the author sold a new series, I wasn't sure I would be interested...an entire series featuring Sammy and no ghosts? Yet I ordered the book last week and started reading it today. And I finished it today.

Needless to say, the book was fantastic. I obsessively read page after page stopping for a couple of bathroom breaks and lunch. The writing was wonderful and the story engaging. Sammy was still the same character from the Nicki Styx series and yet seeing his world from his eyes made him a much more enjoyable character. His sarcasm here was spot on and his personality was a fantastic blend of evil incarnate, and sympathetic fallen angel. His home in Hell was unique and unlike any other Hell I have seen imagined in a novel. Mixing mythology, folklore, and Bilbical elements, many of the names and backstories seem familiar, yet twisted around and made into something unique and entirely the author's creation.

The story is about Sammy's devil's bargain with two people who find their lives suddenly entwined in a battle that could determine if they lose their souls to Sammy. For Faith, her eternal soul's damnation is the least of her worries. She is far more concerned about the life of her four year old son Nathan who has brain cancer. Sammy's bargain involves whether the poor child will live or die. Rock star Finn Payne made a pact with Sammy years ago, selling his soul for fortune and fame. Faith and Finn were both likeable characters from the start and I fell in love with young Nathan. The story never failed to make suprising twists and turns...this is not your standard romance story.

I am going to talk this book up to everyone that will have a lesson because I truly found reading it to be a wonderful way to spend most of my lazy Sunday. I wholeheartedly look forward to visiting Sammy's Hell again, the sooner the better. This book has definitely eased the pain of finding out the Nicki Styx series was concluded.

A DEVIL NAMED DESIRE by Teri Garey is an interesting paranormal romance with on Sammy and Gabriele as the main characters. It is book 2 in the "Devil's Bargain" series,but can be read as a stand alone. See, "Devil Without a Cause", the first volume in this series.Two brothers,two archangels, one a fallen angel,Samuel "Sammy" the "Devil"the angel of darkness and Gabriel,the angel of lightness and Sammy's brother. Sammy sets out to prove to Gabriel that forbidden fruit can be delicious although forbidden. Sammy is concerned the "bad boy"and Gabriel the "good one",but Sammy is really not as bad as he seems. A struggle of good vs evil,the challenge of reclaiming a soul,finding truth,peace,happiness and love could just change everything. While,I did not like the references to Bible,this is a good story that shows the love of a father for his son,and what a father would do for his son. The plot is well written. The characters are interesting,engaging,powerful in more ways than one and the story shows the depth of love,brothers,lightness and darkness. A good read for anyone who enjoys paranormal,fantasy,romance,good vs evil,heaven and hell and the power of love. Truly a tale from the dark side brought to the light.Received for an honest review from Net Galley and the publisher. Details can be found at Avon,an imprint of Harper Collins Publisher,the author's website and My Book Addiction and More.
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR,My Book Addiction and More