Series: JESS DAMON SERIES
Plot Type: Chick-Lit Paranormal Romance (CH)
Ratings: Violence-3; Sensuality-4; Humor-4+
Publisher and Titles: Montlake Romance
The Devil's in the Details (10/2013)
The Devil Made Me Do It (TBA)
WORLD-BUILDING
The star of the series is Jezebel (Jess) Damon, a reformed succubus who is trying to lead a human life—one that is devoid of the erotic escapades so common in her past. For the past two years, Jess has been on the sexual wagon, so to speak, trying to remain celibate until she meets "the One"—the man of her dreams. In the meantime, she is pursuing a career as a highly successful wedding planner in Houston, Texas.
What makes Jess different from the ordinary demon on the street is that she is demon royalty—the daughter of Lillith and the granddaughter of Satan himself. Lillith's demonic sisters (Jess's aunts) are Levita (aka Leviathan); Lucy (aka Lucifer); and Bella (aka Belial). Jess also has 36 female cousins, all with demonically devious personalities. When this family talks about going Down Under, they're definitely not talking about traveling to Australia!
What makes Jess different from the ordinary demon on the street is that she is demon royalty—the daughter of Lillith and the granddaughter of Satan himself. Lillith's demonic sisters (Jess's aunts) are Levita (aka Leviathan); Lucy (aka Lucifer); and Bella (aka Belial). Jess also has 36 female cousins, all with demonically devious personalities. When this family talks about going Down Under, they're definitely not talking about traveling to Australia!
BOOK 1: The Devil's in the Details
As the first book opens, Jess is in the midst of planning an oft-postponed wedding for a spoiled rich brat. When Lillith pops in for a visit, Jess is a bit nervous, but when Mom announces that she is getting married and that Jess will be handling all of the arrangements, our girl is completely stressed out. The story takes place over the two-week period between Mom's original announcement and the actual wedding. During that time, a mysterious entity warns Jess to stop the wedding…or else.
To complicate an already difficult situation, there's a demon slayer after Lillith, and he demands Jess's help—or he'll do away with Jess for good with his mighty sword (and that's not a euphemism). The notorious Cutter Owens is legendary among members of the Legion—the organization that dedicates itself to killing every demon they run across. Here, Jess explains: "The Legion was an organization committed to tracking down and destroying demonic spirits. And I do mean destroying.…When a demon…dies at the hands of a Legion member, there's no coming back. Rather, said demon simply ceases to exist. Gone. Forever. After a somewhat messy explosion….Legion members are the ultimate threat to my kind." (p. 25) At this point, Jess makes a deal with Cutter: She will help him capture Azazel, the demon that stole his soul, if Cutter will agree to leave her and Lillith alone. She makes it a point, though, to omit the fact that she is the Lillith's daughter.
In a side plot, Jess's best friend, Blythe Stevens (aka Blythagamamia Stephenolopolis), takes up with the caveman-like Agarth in an unlikely romance. Both are demons, but it's their love story that is the focus, not their demonic tendencies.
To complicate an already difficult situation, there's a demon slayer after Lillith, and he demands Jess's help—or he'll do away with Jess for good with his mighty sword (and that's not a euphemism). The notorious Cutter Owens is legendary among members of the Legion—the organization that dedicates itself to killing every demon they run across. Here, Jess explains: "The Legion was an organization committed to tracking down and destroying demonic spirits. And I do mean destroying.…When a demon…dies at the hands of a Legion member, there's no coming back. Rather, said demon simply ceases to exist. Gone. Forever. After a somewhat messy explosion….Legion members are the ultimate threat to my kind." (p. 25) At this point, Jess makes a deal with Cutter: She will help him capture Azazel, the demon that stole his soul, if Cutter will agree to leave her and Lillith alone. She makes it a point, though, to omit the fact that she is the Lillith's daughter.
In a side plot, Jess's best friend, Blythe Stevens (aka Blythagamamia Stephenolopolis), takes up with the caveman-like Agarth in an unlikely romance. Both are demons, but it's their love story that is the focus, not their demonic tendencies.
The main story follows Jess through the next two weeks as she takes care of the outlandish wedding preparations (e.g., raw meat appetizers, literal Bloody Marys and lady fingers, chocolate-dipped rodents, a bat release to culminate the vows). All the while, though, she is daydreaming about Cutter's sexy body and about the single passionate kiss they shared.
If you are a fan of feather-light, forgettable chick lit with a sprinkling of hot sex (just one scene), you'll probably enjoy this series. Personally, chick lit is not my favorite genre, and this one is so over-the-top frenetic in its approach to humor that (for me, anyway) it ceased to be funny almost immediately. Don't worry about the wealth of improbabilities and the regular appearances of plot holes. This is just a frenzied fluff of a story featuring an unhappy succubus who tries to ignore her distressingly dangerous family as she longs for a good, "normal" life with her ideal man.
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